LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

01  FT  OF 

PACIFIC  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


Accession        8-4-614  Cla&s 


TO  THE  LIBRARIAN: 

This  Anti-Secrecy  Library  is  donated 
by  the  National  Christian  Association,  on  the 
assurance,  given  on  the  part  of  the  College, 
that  the  books  should  have  a  good  position 
and  be  accessible  to  the  students. 

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these  provisions  could  not  be  carried  out, 
please  notify  the  National  Christian  Associ- 
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:PO:R 
THE  NATIONAL  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATfl* 

;  Madiwtn  St., 


ODDFELLOWSHIP. 

ITS  DOCTRINE  AND  PRACTICE  EXAMINED 

IN  THE  LIGHT  OF 

GOD'S  WORD, 


AND 


JUDGED  BY  ITS  OWN  UTTERANCES. 


From  the  Original  German  "Christian  and  Ernst77  of 

REV.  J.  H.  BROCKMANN, 

fastor  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  Fort  Atkinson,  Wis. 


CHICAGO,    ILL. 
EZRA    A.    COOK    &    CO.,  PUBLISHERS. 

1878. 


w 


/ 


«5 


PREFACE, 


"  THE  influence  of  the  Free  Mason  Lodges  upon  State  and 
Religion,  has  been  greater  than  the  majority  of  the  members  have 
known  and  their  opponents  have  supposed,"  says  Dr.  Niedner  in 
his  Church  History,  page  777.  This  judgment  we  transfer  upon 
the  Odd  Fellow  lodges,  and  certainly  with  justice,  as  these  two 
bodies  have  one  and  the  same  doctrine,  entirely  the  same  princi- 
ples. Great  is  the  influence  of  the  lodges,  as  far  as  we  can 
discern  it,  but  who  knows  how  far  it  extends  in  reality,  as  so 
much  of  it  is  exercised  wholly  in  secret?  Many  thousands  are 
yearly  drawn  into  the  net  of  the  lodge,  therein  inflated  "with 
proper  conceptions  of  their  powers  and  capabilities,"  brought  to 
the  conviction  that  they,  without  Christ,  "are  capable  of  doing 
good/'  are  directed  to  place  their  reliance  upon  themselves  and 
the  order,  but  estranged  from  the  Church  of  God  arid  the  blessed 
Gospel.  Who  shall  bear  the  blame?  Certainly,  for  the  most  part, 
those  who  are  led  astray,  themselves;  but  not  these  alone.  Prof. 
Dr.  Hengstenberg,  in  his  book — "Free  Masonry  and  the  Evan- 
gelical Pastoral  Office" — I,  page  56,  says:  "  No  small  part  of  the 
blame  rests  upon  the  Church  and  her  Theology,  which  hitherto 
have  cared  too  little  about  penetrating  into  the  nature  of  the 
order,  or  portraying  the  same  in  a  clear  and  convincing  manner, 
and  proving  its  incompatibility  with  the  word  of  God."  Of  these 
many  thousands,  estranged  from  the  Gospel  by  the  influence  of  the 
lodge,  up  to  the  present  time,  as  experience  proves,  very  few  have 
returned  to  the  same.  As,  however,  if  they  remain  thug 

J84614 


estranged  from  the  Gospel,  none  of  them  can  be  saved,  Lo  Cer- 
tainly demands  that  we  should  do  everything  in  our  power  bota  ^ 
save  those  led  astray,  as  well  as  to  warn  those  standing  in  danger, 
which  is  surely  best  done  by  examining  the  doctrine  and  principles 
of  the  order  in  the  light  of  God's  word*  This  it  is  that  has  been 
attempted  in  this  pamphlet,  whether  successfully,  those  conversant 
with  the  subject  must  determine.  Every  criticism  dictated  by 
knowledge  of  the  subject  and  kindly  feeling,  shall  be  thankfully 
made  use  of. 

In  order  to  give  an  opportunity  to  test  the  doctrines  of  the 
secret  societies  by  the  everlasting  word  of  God,  be  this  little  book 
recommended  to  all  members  and  friends  of  the  lodge,  as  well  as 
to  ail  antagonists  of  the  same. 

May  the  faithful  God  accompany  it  with  his  blessing ! 

THE  AUTHOR, 

FORT  ATKINSON,  Wis.,  July,  1874. 


FIRST   DIALOGUE. 


Beloved,  believe  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits 
whether  they  are  of  God.     1  John,  4:1. 

Christian.  I  am  very  glad  indeed  to  see  you,  Ernest,  as  I  have 
something  I  would  like  to  speak  to  you  about.  You  have  resided 
in  this  country  longer  than  I,  and  are  better  acquainted  with  its 
manners  and  customs. 

Ernest.  Well,  what  have  you  on  your  mind  this  evening, 
Christian  ? 

Ch.  I  will  tell  you.  I  was  in  town  to-day,  where  I  met 
Maurice.  After  conversing  a  while  about  the  harvest,  the  price 
of  wheat,  &c  ,  he  asked  me  if  I  did  not  feel  inclined  to  join  the 
lodge.  To  my  question,  what  kind  of  a  lodge  it  was,  he  answered, 
the  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge.  As  I  expressed  my  astonishment  at  the 
name  "Odd  Fellows, "  and  showed  no  great  desire  to  become 
"odd,"  he  said  that  was  merely  a  name,  and  little  or  nothing 
depended  on  it;  we  must  look  to  the  matter,  and  that  was  good. 
He  then  extolled  the  lodge  in  the  highest  terms;  praised,  in  his 
loquacity,  its  endless  benefactions,  and  added  that  the  Lodge  was 
the  dearest  spot  on  earth  to  him,  and  so  forth.  Now  I  would  beg 
of  you,  if  you  are  able,  and  know  anything  about  it,  to  give  me  a 
particular  account  of  the  lodge,  whether  it  is  really  something 
good  or  not.  I  have  often  heard  about  the  Free  Masons,  that 
they  have  a  covenant  with  the  devil.  If  this  should  prove  some- 
thing of  that  sort,  I  would  never  join  it.  84614 


s 

E.     What  did  Maurice  say  was  good  in  the  lodge? 

Oh.  Alas,  I  cannot  remember  the  half  that  he  said;  but, 
among  other  things,  he  said  that  if  I  joined  it  and  should  be  sick, 
I  would  receive  three  or  five  dollars  a  week,  I  do  not  remember 
exactly  which;  and  I  should  also  have  night  watchers,  without 
paying  for  them. 

E.     Is  that  all  that  he  said? 

Ch.  He  said,  too,  that  all  the  members  of  the  lodge  were 
moral  men,  and  if  everybody  would  join,  the  world  would  become 
a  Paradise;  but  the  parsons  kept  the  people  in  ignorance,  that 
they  should  not  be  enlightened.  I  believe  he  added  something 
about  widows  and  orphans,  funerals,  &c0  but  it  is  pretty  much 
mixed  up  in  my  head.  I  would  like  to  have  asked  him  some  ques- 
tions, but  you  know,  with  his  extraordinary  loquacity,  one  can 
scarcely  get  in  a  word;  besides,  I  had  no  time,  and  was  thinking 
that,  perhaps,  in  our  evening  talks,  when  we  smoke  our  pipes  com- 
fortably together,  you  could  help  me  to  an  understanding  of  the 
subject. 

E.  The  good  Maurice  has  given  you  too  much  to  digest  at 
once,  without  considering  that  the  portion  we  administer  must  be 
adapted  to  the  strength  of  the  stomach. 

Ch.  I  believe  you  are  correct.  If  he  had  taken  point  by 
point,  listened  to  and  answered  my  questions,  the  matter  Would 
have  been  much  clearer  to  my  mind.  But  be  so  kind,  and  inform 
me,  if  you  can,  WHAT  THE  LODGE  is,  and  WHAT  is  ITS  AIM? 

E.  Very  good;  I  will  do  so,  and  think  I  can,  for  I  have  been 
a  member  these  ten  years.  Therefore — 

Ch.     What!  you,  too,  an— Odd— Odd— Odd— Fellow? 

E.  Indeed  I  am,  and  think  to  remain  one,  for  it  is  really 
something  good,  excellent  and  noble. 

Ch,  This  is  indeed  news  to  me !  You  never  told  me  anything 
of  it. 

E.     Well,  I  am  very  much  opposed  to  taking  any  and  every 


one  into  the  lodge.  We  should  first  become  acquainted  with  per- 
sons. When  we  have  learned  to  know  a  man's  character,  to  be 
moral  and  steadfast,  then  we  can  propose  and  accept  him,  but 
no  sooner. 

Ch.  Aha!  Then  you  did  not  consider  me  to  possess  a  morally 
steadfast  character,  and  that  is  the  reason  you  never  said  anything 
to  me  about  it ! 

E.  Not  for  that  reason.  When  you  become  acquainted  with 
the  nature  and  principles  of  our  order,  you  will  surely  not  censure 
me  that  I  did  not  immediately  on  your  arrival  tell  you  all  about 
it  and  ask  you  to  become  a  member.  And  this  is  what  displeases 
me  in  Brother  Maurice,  that  he,  without  having  any  nearer  ac- 
quaintance with  you,  at  once  asked  you  to  join.  Another  thing 
that  I  dislike  is,  that  lie  talks  immediately  against  the  parsons. 
True,  there  are  some  who  work  against  our  order,  and  keep  the 
people  in  ignorance;  but  there  are  many  others  who  have  nothing 
against  it,  neither  indeed  could  they,  because  its  aim  is  good  and 
praiseworthy;  and  of  these,  many  a  minister  has  already  joined 
the  order,  and  I  hope  many  more  will  yet  unite  with  it ;  I  could 
also  wish  that  our  own  minister  would  soon  become  a  member.  If 
many  of  them  are  opposed  to  the  lodge,  the  more  friendly-disposed 
cannot  answer  for  it;  therefore  I  think  we  should  not  immediately 
begin  to  rail  at  the  parsons. 

Ch.     What!    Is  Maurice  your  brother?     I  never  knew  that. 

E.  To  be  sure,  he  is  not  my  brother  by  birth,  indeed,  no  rela- 
tion of  mine  whatever,  but  still  my  brother,  because  he  belongs  to 
the  same  order;  all  who  belong  to  the  lodge,  be  they  where  they 
may,  are  among  each  other  brothers  ;  they  recognize  each  other 
as  such,  stand  by  each  other,  and  hold  together  in  every  respect  as 
brothers. 

Ch.  Really  !  Then,  perhaps,  after  all,  it  is  something  good  ! 
But,  by  my  digressions,  we  have  wandered  entirely  from  the  sub- 
ject, and  you  have  been  prevented  from  telling  me  what  the  lodge 


8 

is  and  what  is  its  aim.      You  must  know,  if  you  have  belonged  to 
it  for  ten  years.     Please  tell  me. 

E,  Well,  I  think  I  can  speak  from  experience.  In  ten  years 
one  can  learn  something.  Neither  did  I  let  this  time  pass  by 
unemployed.  I  have  profited  by  the  lodge  in  many  ways,  and 
have  much  to  thank  it  for.  Pay  attention,  then  !  The  lodge  is 
an  association  of  purely  moral  men,  of  honorable,  steadfast  char- 
acter. They  have  united  together  for  the  purpose  of  doing  good 
wherever  they  can,  particularly  in  the  support  of  the  needy,  visit- 
ing the  sick,  burying  the  dead,  helping  the  widow  and  educating 
the  orphan.  They  obligate  themselves  to  stand  by  each  other  in 
all  positions  and  circumstances  of  life,  to  assist  and  to  save  each 
other  when  they  are  in  danger.*  In  this  way,  all  the  lodges  of 
our  order,  of  which  there  are  over  5000  in*  America,  are  united. 
Every  one  stands  by  the  other,  helps  and  promotes  his  interests 
wherever  he  can,  and  if  one  of  them  be  sick,  he  receives  weekly 
his  appointed  aid.  If  he  needs  night  watchers,  every  night  two 
brothers  are  there,  who  wait  on  him,  moisten  his  fever-parched 
tongue  with  a  refreshing  drink,  and  alleviate  his  situation  in  every 
possible  way.  If  he  dies,  they  render  him  the  last  services  of 
affection  by  closing  his  eyes,  providing  for  the  funeral,  and  seeing 
to  it  that  it  is  solemnly  performed.  Yea,  the  lodge  provides  for 
the  surviving  widow  and  her  uneducated  children,  takes  care  that 
they  do  not  suffer  want,  and  that  the  children's  minds  are  stored 
with  useful  knowledge  and  their  heart  and  will  are  properly 
trained.  Further,  the  lodge  endeavors,  by  moral  suasion,  to  unite 
all  hearts  in  Friendship,  Love  and  Truth,  to  banish  prejudice  and 
superstition,  envy  and  hatred ;  on  the  contrary,  to  promote  har- 
mony and  concord.  To  make  all  men  happy, — that  is  its  aim. 
In  short,  the  lodge  is  a  magnificent  Institution  of  Charity.  And 
what  could  be  more  ardently  desired,  than  that  all  should  unite 


*  See  Odd  Fellows'  Pocket  Companion,  page  13. 


© 

with  it,  in  order  that  the  benefits  of  this  great  benevolence  should 
descend  upon  all !  And  thirf  is  what  we  endeavor  to  attain  by  our 
labors.  Here  I  have  given  you,  in  a  few  words,  to  know  what  the 
lodge  is,  and  what  is  its  aim.  Consider  now  whether  you  will  join 
or  not.  Consider  whether  it  is  not  a  fine  thing  in  time  of  need  to 
draw  your  weekly  support ;  whether  it  is  not  consoling  in  sickness, 
every  night  to  have  two  careful  watchers  by  the  sick  bed  ;  whether- 
it  is  not  tranquilizing  to  every  well  wishing  father  of  a  family,  to 
know  that  after  his  death  his  widow  and  his  uneducated  children 
are  provided  for  in  this  cold  world,  where  so  little  love  is  to  be 
found  !  You  have  yourself  a  small  flock,  of  which  the  youngest 
cannot  yet  even  walk  alone.  Now  think  for  a  moment :  should 
you  die  to-day  or  to-morrow,  how  would  your  mourning  widow 
and  your  helpless  orphans  fare?  Surely  every  one,  particularly 
fathers  of  families,  can  do  no  better  than  to  unite  with  this  benevo- 
lent association.  Choose  now,  whether  you  will  be  left  in  sickness 
without  sympathy,  aid,  advice  and  comfort,  or  whether  you  will 
enjoy  comfort,  advice,  aid  and  sympathy.  Choose  whether  at  your 
death,  which  may  possibly  be  near,  you  will  know  your  widow  and 
fatherless  children  provided  for,  or  whether  they  shall  be  ex- 
posed to  wretchedness,  hunger  and  want !  Choose  whether  your 
dear  Catharine,  after  your  death,  shall  be  enabled  to  live  respecta- 
bly, or  whether  she,  perhaps  forsaken  by  all,  shall  beg  her  own  and 
her  children's  bread  at  the  doors  of  unmerciful  men  !  Choose,  and 
the  sooner  you  decide  to  join,  the  better !  If  you  have  an  inclina- 
tion to  do  so,  I  will  propose  you  to  the  lodge. 

Oh.  Hallo !  You  are  almost  as  much  excited  as  Maurice  was. 
I  have  never  seen  you  so  animated  and  eager  before. 

E.  Yes,  certainly ;  for  such  a  good  cause  one  can  become 
excited,  and  one  can't  help  being  vexed  when  here  and  there  peo- 
ple are  still  to  be  found  who  are  opposed  to  it. 

CJi.  Well,  I  do  not  know  what  to  say  to  it ;  but  so  much  I  do 
know,  that  I  cannot  yet  join.  Support  in  time  of  need  is  all  very 


10  f 

fine;  to  know  one's  widow  and  orphans  will  be  provided  for  after 
our  death,  has  also  its  consoling  influence ;  but  I  do  not  under- 
stand as  yet  how  it  all  hangs  together  and  what  more  is  connected 
with  it.  At  all  events,  I  must  first  become  better  acquainted  with 
the  matter,  and  examine  it,  else  I  might  perhaps  do  something 
contrary  to  my  conscience,  which  is  governed  by  God's  word. 

E.  It  is  nothing  contrary  to  your  conscience,  for  the  lodge 
demands  nothing  from  any  one  that  is  in  opposition  to  his  con- 
science. *  But  I  am  not  at  all  opposed  to  your  wish  to  become 
better  acquainted  with  the  subject,  and  I  can  also  lend  you  a  help- 
ing hand  thereto.  I  have  at  home  several  books  and  a  whole 
mass  of  publications,  in  which  everything  concerning  the  lodge  is 
clearly  laid  down,  which  I  will  gladly  lend  you,  if  you  wish  to  read 
them. 

Ch.  I  am  very  glad  of  it,  for  I  would  like  to  learn  more  of 
this  subject,  and  to  test  it  thoroughly.  Can  you  come  to-morrow 
evening  a  while  ?  You  know  that  the  way  I  am  situated  at  home, 
1  cannot  well  leave. 

E.     1  think  I  can. 

Ch.  Then  please  bring  the  books  along.  The  evenings,  which 
are  already  pretty  long  and  constantly  growing  longer,  afford  leisure 
for  reading. 

E.     I  will  do  so  with  pleasure. 


*  See  Odd  Fellows7  Improved  Manual,  pp.  73,  96,  119,  140;   Pocket 
Companion,  p.  309. 


SECOND  DIALOGUE. 


Search  the  Scriptures.  John  5:  39.  That  ye  may 
prove  what  is  that  good  and  acceptable  and  perfect 
wilt  of  God.  Rom.  12:  2. 

Ernest,     Well,  neighbor,  how  do  you  get  along? 

Christian.  Not  very  well !  Last  night  I  could  not  go  to  sleep 
for  a  long  while;  what  I  had  heard  yesterday  concerning  the  lodge 
made  my  head  to  whirl,  and  when,  at  length,  I  did  fall  asleep,  I 
dreamed  I  was  in  the  lodge,  and  saw  all  kinds  of  abominable  forms 
and  shapes,  so  that  I  was  terribly  frightened.  And  then — 

E.  That  came,  probably,  from  your  speaking  yesterday  about 
the  covenant  with  the  devil. 

Ch.  Very  likely  And  then  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  I  were  dan- 
gerously ill.  Two  of  the  lodge  brothers  sat  by  my  bedside,  and 
when  I  wanted  water,  and  could  only  gasp  a  few  unintelligible 
words,  they  gave  me  strong  brandy.  I  could  not  speak.  Gradu- 
ally 1  became  weaker  and  weaker.  I  felt  death  grasping  at  my 
heart,  and  yet  I  could  not  die.  Then  the  two  brothers  closed  my 
eyes.  In  the  terrible  anguish,  that  perhaps  I  should  be  buried 
alive,  I  awoke  and  found  myself  bathed  in  sweat. 

E.     Well,  dreams  are  but  phantoms. 

Ch.      So  I  thought. 

E.     Have  you  considered  the  matter  further  to-day  ? 

Ch.  Yes.  This  matter  and  what  I  heard  yesterday  I  oould 
not  get  out  of  my  mind  all  day,  and  came  near  having  a  great  mis- 
fortune in  consequence. 


12 

E.     In  consequence  of  it? 

Ch.  Yes.  I  harnessed  my  horses  to  the  plough  to  finish  off 
that  last  bit  of  land,  but  my  mind  was  so  engaged  with  the  lodge 
that  I  neglected  to  finish  laying  on  the  harness  upon  the  gray, 
which  is  the  off  horse.  No  sooner  had  I  begun  to  drive,  than  the 
gray,  being  very  skittish,  became  aware  that  something  was  amiss, 
became  unmanageable,  sprang  to  the  left,  and  I  received  a  terrible 
blow  in  the  side  from  the  plough,  which  knocked  me  down,  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  I  could  at  last  arise  and  hobble  home. 

E.     What  became  of  the  horses  ? 

Ch.  They  ran  home,  and  took  no  further  damage,  but  the 
plough  is  broken. 

E.     You  might  have  been  killed. 

Ch.     So  I  might 

E.  Think  only.  Had  the  misfortune  been  greater,  had  you 
become  a  cripple,  or  remained  dead  on  the  spot,  how  would  your 
family  fare  now?  I  could  not  be  easy,  did  I  not  know  that  my 
family  were  provided  for. 

Ch.  I  thought  of  all  that,  and  thanked  G-od,  from  the  bottom 
of  my  heart,  that  he  had  so  graciously  averted  the  stroke. 

E.  Indeed  I  do  not  know  how  any  father  can  rest,  who  does 
not  know  that  his  family  is  provided  for  after  his  death.  I,  at 
least,  could  not. 

Ch.  Certainly  a  father  must  do  his  duty  and  provide  for  his 
family.  I  think,  too,  that  I  have  never  neglected  my  duty  in  this 
respect,  and  will  continue,  so  long  as  God  lends  me  strength  and 
grace,  to  care  for  them. 

E.  That  is  all  right,  but  certainly  not  sufficient.  You  can- 
not, for  instance,  in  several  years  to  come,  earn  so  much,  even 
should  harvests  prove  extraordinarily  good,  that  your  family  can 
live  without  care.  But  you  might  be  suddenly  called  away,  and 
then  they  would  be  destitute.  They  would,  however,  be  provided 
for,  so  soon  as  you  join  the  lodge  and  pay  the  small  entrance  fee? 


13 

the  weekly,  accidental,  half  yearly  and  annual  contributions.  This 
is,  without  question,  the  easiest  way  to  provide  for  them,  as  I  told 
you  last  evening. 

Oh.  Humanly  speaking,  this  may  all  be  very  true;  but  it 
seems  to  me  as  if  this  manner  of  providing  were  not  entirely  free 
from  setting  our  confidence  in  man,  and  as  if  one  did  not  believe 
that  that  blessed  God.  in  whose  care  we  daily  commend  ourselves 
and  our  families  in  prayer,  would  not  provide  for  the  widows  and 
orphans,  as  he  has  promised  to  do.  But  I  will  not  judge  about 
that  If  I  can  convince  myself  that  it  is  good,  I  shall  consider  it 
to  be  my  duty  to  join ;  for,  to  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good,  and 
doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin."  But  — have  you  anything  to  do 
with  religion  ? 

E.  No,  we  have  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  religion.  We  let 
every  one  believe  as  he  pleases.  The  order  is  only  an  association 
for  aid  and  charitable  purposes.  What  did  you  mean  with  your 
' '  but, ' ;  you  did  not  come  out  with  it  ? 

Oh.     Yes,  but  I  do  not  like  to  tell  you. 

E.     Only  come  out  with  it. 

Oh.     Well,  but  you  must  not  be  angry  with  me. 

E.     By  no  means. 

Oh.  By  my  terrible  dream  I  have  really  conceived  a  terror  of 
the  lodge.  Tell  me,  have  you  actually  a  covenant  with  the  devil  ? 

E.  Man,  are  you  crazy?  /  a  covenant  with  the  devil?  I 
am  a  Christian.  I  was  born  and  bred  in  the  Christian  religion  ; 
have  learned  Luther's  smaller  catechism,  besides  many  texts  and 
hymns;  go  to  church  and  to  communion.  And  should  I  have  a 
covenant  with  the  devil  ?  No,  I  did  not  expect  that  of  you  ! 
What  do  you  take  me  for?  Did  you  ever  find  me  a  child  of  the 
devil  ?  Tell  me,  if  you  know  anything  diabolical  in  me  ! 

Oh.  Well,  well !  Don't  fly  into  such  a  passion.  Come,  let  us 
first  light  our  pipes.  Here  are  tobacco  and  matches.  — Does  your 
pipe  burn  ? 


14 

E.     Yes. 

Gli.  Now  dear  Ernest,  I  do  not  say  that  you  have  a  covenant 
with  the  devil, — I  merely  ask.  It  partly  appeared  so  to  me  in  my 
dream,  and  I  thought  I  would  inquire.  To  be  sure,  I  was  afraid 
you  would  be  angry. 

E.  Well,  I  will  not  be  angry  with  you ;  yet  it  does  vex  me  to 
hear  such  conjectures,  especially  from  a  friend.  No  ;  I  tell  you 
our  order  is  nothing  more  than  a  benevolent  and  mutual  aid 
association.  You  may  believe  me,  that  it  has  already  caused  an 
extraordinary  amount  of  good,  has  distributed  many  benefits,  and 
accomplished  many  works  of  charity.  Many  widows  and  orphans 
would  to-day,  in  grief  and  want,  be  begging  their  bread  from  door 
to  door,  yea,  would  have  perished,  had  our  order  not  taken  care  of 
them.  We  do  not  accept  each  and  every  one,  least  of  all  one  who 
has  proved  himself  to  be  a  child  of  the  devil ;  but  only  such  as  are 
upright  and  religiously  inclined.  To  aid  the  brethren,  to  visit  the 
sick,  to  alleviate  their  sufferings  if  possible,  to  comfort  them  ;  to 
provide  for  widows  and  orphans ;  in  short,  to  make  all  men,  were 
it  possible,  happy,  is  our  endeavor ! 

Ch.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  I  have  reflected  much  about 
what  you  said  yesterday  evening, — that  the  members  of  the  lodge 
know  each  other  as  brethren,  be  they  where  they  may.  I  do  not 
understand  that.  Should  you,  for  instance,  move  to  another  state, 
and  there  meet  a  man  you  had  never  before  seen,  could  you  know 
whether  he  was  an  Odd  Fellow,  without  any  one  telling  you  ? 

E.      Certainly  I  could. 

Ch.     How  is  that  possible?     You  cannot  see  into  his  heart! 

E.  No,  I  cannot ;  but  we  have  certain  signs  by  which  we 
know  each  other. 

Ch.     What  kind  of  signs  ? 

E.  I  cannot  tell  you  ;  but  you  will  learn  to  know  them  if  you 
join. 

Ch.      Why  can  you  not  tell  me  ? 


15 

E.  Because  the  signs  belong  exclusively  to  the  lodge,  and  we 
have  solemnly  vowed  not  to  communicate  these  matters  to  others, 

Ch.     Really  !     Then  you  have  secrets  ? 

E.     Yes. 

Ch.  But  the  Apostle  says  (Eph.  5  :  12) :  '*  For  it  is  a  shame 
even  to  speak  of  those  things  which  are  done  of  them  in  secret. " 
And  the  Lord  Jesus  says  (John  3:  20):  "  For  every  one  that 
doeth  evil,  hateth  the  light,  neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his 
deeds  should  be  reproved."  Are  not  your  secrets,  then,  sinful? 

E.  They  cannot  possibly  be  sinful,  because  they  contain 
nothing  bad  in  them.  They  are  merely  signs  of  recognition,  and 
there  is  nothing  evil  in  that.  I  am  firmly  convinced  you,  too, 
have  your  secrets ;  I  mean  family  secrets. 

Ch.  Then  I  am  to  conclude  by  this,  that  you  carry  your  so- 
called  family  secrets  into  the  lodge.  So,  perhaps  the  only  differ- 
ence would  be  this :  that  the  families  not  belonging  to  the  lodge 
keep  those  matters,  which  they  do  not  wish  every  one  to  know,  to 
themselves ;  while  you,  on  the  contrary,  take  such  family  matters 
into  the  lodge,  and  besides  these  lodge  secrets,  have  no  particular 
family  secrets  which  you  retain  for  yourselves  ! 

E.  By  no  means.  You  have  entirely  misunderstood  me.  The 
lodge  has  its  own  secrets,  and  these  consist  mainly  in  the  signs  of 
recognition,  the  ceremonies  of  installation,  and  the  rules  and 
instructions  upon  conferring  the  degrees.  Besides,  we  have,  as 
all  other  men,  our  private  family  affairs,  which  we  keep  to  our- 
selves. 

Ch.  That  looks  very  suspicious.  Signs  of  recognition,  which 
no  one  else  knows  or  dare  know,  by  which  you  recognize  each 
other,  although  you  have  never  met  before  !  Secret  ceremonies 
and  rules,  which  no  one  outside  of  the  lodge  dare  find  out !  I 
think,  if  your  doctrines  were  really  good,  Love  itself  should  prompt 
you  to  communicate  them  to  others.  Here  the  words  of  the  Apos- 
tle occur  to  my  mind  :  "  For  it  is  a  shame  to  speak  of  those  things 


16 

which  are  done  of  them  in  secret."  To  be  sure,  I  will  not  main- 
tain that  your  secrets  necessarily  fall  under  this  class,  for  as  yet  I 
know  too  little  about  them  ;  but  it  seems  very  suspicious  to  me. 
Pray,  why  do  you  have  these  mysteries  ? 

E.  Because  the  order,  without  these  secrets,  could  not  fulfil 
its  high  mission ;  because  we  should  be  continually  cheated,  de- 
frauded and  deceived,  and  our  benefactions  would  often  be  misused 
if  we  did  not  have  these  signs.  Indeed  the  order  cannot  exist 
without  these  secrets.  But  why  should  I  longer  dispute  with  you 
and  answer  your  thousand  and  one  objections  and  scruples?  You 
wanted  to  see  the  books.  Here  they  are.  Only  peruse  them  with 
attention,  and  I  am  convinced  you  will  find  nothing  evil  in  them. 
Indeed,  your  opinion  of  the  order  will  be  entirely  changed,  your 
prejudices  will  vanish,  your  doubts  be  removed,  your  disinclination 
be  transformed  into  inclination.  Yes,  I  rejoice  in  anticipation?  my 
dear  neighbor,  of  seeing  you  brought  into  the  lodge. 

CJi.  I  am  glad  you  brought  the  books  along.  I  cannot  rest 
till  I  have  examined  the  subject  to  its  very  foundation. 

E.  Do  so.  I  tell  you,  the  more  you  search  into  it  ar  .  the 
more  thoroughly  you  test  it,  so  much  the  more  beautiful  will  you 
find  our  lodge,  so  much  the  more  noble  its  aim,  so  mucu  "  more 
lovely  its  communion.  That  is  just  where  so  many  miss  [;: 
cause  they  do  not  examine  into  it.  Would  they  only  test  our 
principles,  many  more  would  join  us. 

Ch.     What  are  the  names  of  those  books  ? 

E.  This  is  our  Manual.  The  title  is:  "The  Odd  Fellows' 
Improved  Pocket  Manual.  By  Rev.  A.  B.  G-rosch.  Philadel- 
phia: Th.  Bliss  &  Co.  1869."  I  would  recommend  this  espe- 
cially to  your  attention.  It  is  the  best  and  most  thorough  of 
them  all,  and  particularly  recommended  by  sixty-seven  Grand 
Representatives  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  who 
affirm  that  this  book  is  "a  complete  and  faithful  representation  of 
the  History,  th*  Principles,  Instructions,  Work  and  Organization 


17 

of  the  Order,"  and  that  we  can  rely  upon  its  instructions  "as  cor- 
rect. ' '  This  other  book  bears  the  title  :  "The  Odd  Fellows'  Pocket 
Companion.  By  James  L.  Ridgely.  Cincinnati,  0.  R.  W.  Carrol 
&  Co.,  publishers.  1868."  This  is  also  good,  and  enters  more 
fully  into  the  Constitution.  This  other  is  our  Compendium,  a 
collection  of  the  Laws  and  Decisions  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States.  The  title  is:  "Digest  of  the  Laws,  Decisions 
and  Enactments  of  the  R.  W.  (Right  Worthy)  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  United  States,  I.  O.  O.  F.  (Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows). 1871."  (To  be  had  of  James  L.  Ridgely,  Baltimore.) 
In  this  book  you  have  not  only  our  Laws,  but  also  the  Constitu- 
tion, By-Laws  and  Regulations  of  the  United  States  Grand  Lodge, 
as  well  as  the  ceremonies  at  funerals,  dedication  of  a  lodge,  &c. 
And,  that  you  might  thoroughly  examine  everything,  I  have  also 
brought  along  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  our  State  and  of 
our  subordinate  lodge,  as  well  as  a  large  bundle  of  transactions 
and  resolutions,  of  the  United  States  Grand  Lodge,  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  our  State  and  of  our  State's  Grand  Encampment  of  dif- 
ferent years,  and  a  great  collection  of  our  periodicals. 

Ch.  That  is  certainly  a  great  mass  of  reading  matter;  but  I 
am  very  glad  that  I  now  have  the  opportunity  to  become  acquaint- 
ed with  the  subject  from  the  best  authorities.  Are  not  all  these 
books  and  papers  written  by  members  of  the  lodge? 

E.  Yes,  each  one  of  them,  and  what  they  contain  is  correct, 
on  that  you  may  depend.  Only  study  them  diligently. 

Ch.     Certainly  I  shall  have  enough  to  do  tor  a  while. 

E.  To  be  sure  you  will,  and,  that  you  may  not  lose  any  time, 
I  will  not  disturb  you  for  a  time  with  my  visits. 

Ch.    Well,  that  need  not  hinder  you  from  coming. 

E.     I  think  it  is  better  that  you  should  not  be  disturbed. 

Ch.  Well,  if  you  insist  upon  not  coming  for  a  while,  1  yet 
entreat  you  not  to  put  off  your  next  visit  for  too  long  a  time. 

E.    Very  well,  it  shall  not  be  too  long. 


THIRD  DIALOGUE. 


Know  ye  that  the  Lord  he  is  God:  it  is  he  that  hath 
made  us,  and  not  we  ourselves;  we  are  his  people, 
and  the  sheep  of  his  pasture.    Ps.  100  :  3. 
(Isa.  44:  6.    1  Cor.  8:6.) 

E.  Well,  dear  Christian,  how  do  you  get  along  with  your 
studies  ?  Have  you  almost  worked  through  the  documents  V 

Ch      Yes,  day  before  yesterday  I  read  the  last  page. 

E.     Indeed  you  have  been  very  diligent ! 

Ch.  Yes;  when  I  have  something  of  this  kind  before  me,  I 
cannot  rest  until  it  is  finished.  I  also  availed  myself  of  several 
rainy  days  we  have  had  to  read. 

E.     Well,  how  does  the  thing  please  you  now  ? 

Ch.     I  cannot  answer  you  in  a  few  words. 

E.  Is  the  subject  now  clear  to  your  mind,  or  have  you  still 
all  manner  of  doubts  and  objections  ? 

Ch  I  believe  it  is  now  clear  to  me,  for  I  have  closely  read  all 
the  documents.  Many  portions  I  have  read  over  at  least  three 
times,  and  have  carefully  reflected  on  all.  But  I  have  some  doubts, 
and  must  make  many  objections. 

E.  That  is  certainly  more  than  I  expected.  What  kind  of 
doubts  and  objections  have  you  ? 

Ch.  I  cannot  set  them  forth  in  brief  terms.  We  must  take 
point  after  point.  First,  I  must  observe  that  you  have  stated  the 
affair  in  a  very  different  manner  from  what  it  is  depicted  in  your 
own  publications. 


19 

E.     In  what  respect  have  I  stated  it  differently  ? 

Ch.  I  asked  you  expressly  whether  the  lodge  had  anything  to 
do  with  religion.  You  answered:  "  No,  the  lodge  has  nothing  at 
all  to  do  with  religion." 

E.     I  did  say  so.     Is  it  not  true  ? 

Ch.  No.  You  have  a  great  deal  to  do  with  religion.  You 
acknowledge,  in  religious  matters,  a  highest  "  authority  ";  you 
have  the  Bible  and  use  it,  lor  you  read  the  ten  commandments 
and  other  portions  of  Scripture  and  apply  them;  you  have  High- 
priests  and  Grand  Highpriests,  Chaplains,  Grand  Chaplains,  and 
altars ;  you  teach  and  confess  the  existence  of  a  God,  and  demand 
faith  in  "  a  Supreme  Being,  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  ";  you 
teach  the  duties  we  owe  him,  and  lead  men  to  obey  his  command- 
ments ;  you  teach  the  way  to  salvation,  have  your  set  prayers  and 
religious  ceremonies,  for  example,  at  funerals,  dedication  of  lodges, 
and  installation  in  the  different  degrees.  All  this  is  superfluous, 
if  you  have  nothing  to  do  with  religion.  That  you  have  and 
make  use  of  all  this,  is  sufiicient  proof  that  you  have  much  to  do 
with  religion.  Indeed,  I  cannot  consider  you  in  any  other  light 
than  as  a  religious  association. 

E.  Yes,  if  you  look  at  it  in  this  light,  and  take  everything 
so  literally  and  exactly ;  but  I  cannot  think  that  that  has  much 
to  signify.  When  I  said  that  we,  as  a  lodge,  had  nothing  to  do 
with  religion,  I  only  meant  that  we  do  not  rob  any  one  of  his 
faith,  or  compel  him  to  accept  another;  and  that  we  give  no  par- 
ticular religious  instruction,  as,  for  instance,  is  given  in  a  cate- 
chetical class.  We  do  not  baptize,  we  do  not  administer  the 
communion,  and  just  as  little  do  we  have  a  weekly  sermon  or 
religious  discourse. 

Ch.  You  do  not  compel  any  one,  by  external  force,  to  accept 
joar  faith,  and  in  so  far  can  truly  say  that  you  let  every  one  be- 
lieve as  he  pleases.  Yet,  whoever  wishes  to  be  received,  must 
confess  that  he  believes  in  a  divine  being"  for,  should  he  deny 


20 

that,  you  dare  not  accept  him  (Digest,  page  361).  Further,  you 
have  repeatedly  said  the  lodge  was  nothing  more  than  a  benevolent 
and  mutual  aid  association.  To  support  and  assist  each  other, 
that  was  its  chief  aim. 

E.  And  is  not  that  the  chief  aim  of  the  lodge  V 
Ch.  No,  it  is  not.  See  here,  on  page  47  ff.  of  the  Manual, 
it  is  said  :  "  The  order,  as  founded  by  Brother  Wildey,  was 
simply  a  humane  institution, — its  main  objects  were  to  relieve 
brethren,  bury  the  dead,  and  care  for  the  widow  and  orphan. 
But  gradually  there  were  infused  into  its  lectures  and  charges 
much  moral  and  (unsectarian)  religious  instruction ;  and  at  each 
revision  these  principles  were  increased,  and  deepened,  and 
strengthened,  until  its  beneficial  and  relief  measures,  from  being 
ends,  have  become  means  to  a  higher  and  greater  end — "to  im- 
prove and  elevate  the  character  of  man,  to  imbue  him  with  con- 
conceptions  of  his  capability  for  good,  to  enlighten  his  mind." 
On  page  110  it  says:  "  It  is  unfortunate  for  our  order,  and  for 
not  a  few  of  its  members,  that  too  much  prominence  has  been 
generally  given  to  its  feature  of  pecuniary  benefits  in  seasons  of 
sickness  and  death,  and  pecuniary  aid  in  circumstances  of  want 
and  distress.  This,  though  a  laudable  and  useful  trait  in  our 
operations,  is  hardly  a  tithe  of  our  aims  and  objects.''  On  page 
117  we  read:  "Let  no  one  unite  with  the  order  merely  to  ... 
insure  himself  provision  in  case  of  sickness  and  distress."  On 
page  261  it  says:  "  It  is  time  that  those  who  unite  with  us  ... 
but  for  the  loaves  and  fishes,  should  learn  that  they  have  mistaken 
their  aim."  In  the  Pocket  Companion,  page  13,  we  read,  that 
the  order  is  not  "a  mere  pecuniary  advantage,  as  many  unfortu- 
nately understand  it  to  be."  Many  other  passages  which  say  the 
same  thing,  I  could  read  to  you,  but  think  that  these  are  sufficient 
to  prove  that  your  assertion,  that  mutual  aid  is  the  chief  aim,  is 
entirely  false.  There  it  -Hands,  in  clear  and  unmistakable  terms, 
that  "its  beneficial  and  relief  measures"  n.ra  not  ''ends,"  but 


"means  to  a  higher  and  greater  end."  The  lodge  declares,  in 
plain  terms,  '  *  the  pecuniary  benefits  ' '  are  '  *  hardly  the  tenth  part 
of  our  aims  and  objects.1'  It  declares:  "  Let  no  one  unite  with 
the  order"  merely  "  to  insure  pecuniary  profits."  Further,  it  de- 
clares that  all  who  unite  for  this  reason  "have  missed  their  aim." 
The  lodge  therefore  expresses,  clearly  and  plainly,  that  it  designs 
something  higher  and  greater  than  pecuniary  benefits. 

E.  I  told  you  expressly,  that  we  do  not  accept  every  one,  but 
only  moral,  steady  and  religiously  inclined  persons  Certainly  we 
must  care,  besides  for  the  benefits,  for  morality  also.  What  would 
people  think  of  us,  if  we  suffered  the  members  of  the  lodge  to  lead 
an  immoral  life  ? 

Ch.  The  question  is  not,  what  sort  of  a  life  you  lead,  or  should 
lead,  according  to  the  rules  of  your  lodge,  but  that  you  have  some- 
thing to  do  with  religion;  indeed  your  religion  is  perhaps  the 
chief  end. 

E.  That  this  is  the  chief  end,  I  cannot  see.  To  be  sure,  when 
one  considers  the  matter  as  you  do,  we  have  perhaps  something  to 
do  with  religion.  I,  however,  look  at  it  from  a  diiferent  point  of 
view.  Since  we  impart  no  particular  religious  instruction,  do  not 
baptize,  do  not  administer  the  Lord's  supper,  allow  every  one  to 
believe  as  he  pleases,  I  say  we  have  nothing  to  do  with  religion. 

Ch.  How  can  you  talk  like  this?  Pray,  have  the  ten  command- 
ments, reading  portions  of  the  Scripture,  religious  discourses,  the 
nominating,  choosing  and  installing  the  High  Priests  and  Chap- 
lains, the  religious  ceremonies  and  prayers,  nothing  to  do  with 
religion  ? 

E.  The  ten  commandments  and  prayers  certainly  belong  to 
religion. 

Ch,  You  understand,  therefore,  that  you  have  something  to 
do  with  religion  ? 

E.  I  grant  that  we  have  something  of  a  religious  nature,  but 
nothing  sectarian. 


22 

Oh.  Whether  you  have  anything  sectarian  or  not,  we  will 
consider  another  time.  You  have,  therefore,  according  to  youi 
own  confession,  something  of  religion,  something  to  do  with  reli- 
gion.* As  Christians,  we  must  now  thoroughly  prove  whether 
this  religion  of  yours  coincides  with  the  holy  Scriptures. 

E,  Most  assuredly  it  does,  for  do  we  not  use  the  Scriptures? 
In  them  we  are  commanded  to  support  the  widows  and  orphans, 

Ck.  Well,  we  shall  see.  You  believe,  therefore,  in  one  God; 
and  demand  faith  in  him,  do  you  not  ? 

E.      Certainly. 

Ch.     What  kind  of  a  God  is  that  in  which  you  believe  ? 

E.  What  a  stupid  question  !  In  what  kind  of  a  God  should 
we  believe,  than  in  the  one  true  G-od,  who  has  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth,  who  preserves  them,  and  who  giveth  us  his  rain  and 
sunshine.  I  should  think  you  might  have  known  that. 

Ch.  Yes,  but  there  are  so  many  Q-ods,  and  we  must  be  cau- 
tious that  we  do  not  mistake  an  idol  for  the  true  God  !  Is  your 
God  the  Triune,  that  is,  one  Being  and  three  Persons,  or  is  he 
only  one,  that  is,  one  Being  and  only  one  Person  ? 

E.  You  know  very  well  that  the  Bible,  as  well  as  our  Cate- 
chism, teaches  a  Triune  God,  and  he  is  our  God  as  well  as  he  is 
yours. 

Ch.  But  you  have  Jews  in  your  lodge,  and  Heathen  and 
Turks  may  become  members.  Do  they  also  believe  in  the  Triune 
God? 

E.  I  do  not  know,  neither  does  it  concern  me  in  the  least.  I 
let  every  one  believe  what  he  pleases. 

Ch.  Have  those  Jews  and  Heathen  who  are  received  into  the 
Lodge,  answered  the  qu  stion,  whether  they  believe  in  God,  in 
the  affirmative  also  ? 


*  See  Lodge  Bulletin  of  July,  1871.     There  it  says:    "  Oddfellowship 
has  a  morality,  HAS  A  RELIGION,  OR  THEOLOGY.77 


23 

E.  Yes,  certainly,  else  they  would  not  have  been  received. 
tn  the  subordinate  lodge,  of  which  I  am  a  member,  we  have, 
however,  no  Heathen. 

Oh.  That  may  well  be  the  case,  that  in  your  small  lodge 
you  have  no  Heathen  or  Mohammedans;  but  they  might  be 
accepted.  See  here,  on  page  238  of  your  Digest,  it  is  said  that 
it  is  not  forbidden  to  propose  any  Infidel  for  membership,  provided 
he  believes  "in  a  Supreme  Being,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of 
the  Universe,"  and  that  no  unbelief  disqualifies  a  man  to  become 
a  member  of  the  Order.  The  Pocket  Companion  expresses  this 
yet  more  plainly  on  page  307,  where  it  says:  "  Jew  or  Gentile, 
Catholic  or  Protestant,  is,  as  such,  welcome  to  our  lodges.''  And 
the  Manual,  on  page  374,  coincides  entirely  therewith.  Now, 
from  this  fact,  that  the  Jews,  Heathen  and  Mohammedans  an- 
swer the  question,  whether  they  believe  in  God,  in  the  affirmative, 
it  follows  with  certainty  that  the  lodge  has  not  the  Triune  God ; 
for  the  Jews  do  not  believe  in  the  Triune  God,  do  not  even  receive 
the  Old  Testament  as  God's  word,  else  they  must  become  Chris- 
tians. The  Mohammedans,  according  to  their  Koran,  believe  in 
" Allah, "  but  not  in  the  Triune  God,  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost, 
as  he  has  revealed  himself  to  us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Or  can 
you  imagine  that  a  Heathen,  Jew  or  Mohammedan,  as  soon  as  he 
becomes  a  member  of  the  Lodge,  believes  in  the  Triune  God  of 
the  Christians  ? 

E.  That  is  not  very  probable.  If  they  have  not  been  taught, 
they  do  not  know  him,  and  can  therefore  not  believe  in  him ;  but 
it  is  our  mission  to  instruct  the  weaker  brethren. 

Ch.  And  what  is  written  in  your  books  concerning  God, 
proves  quite  clearly  that  the  God  which  the  lodge  has,  is  not  the 
Triune  God. 

E.     Why,  what  do  they  say  about  him  ? 

Ch.  On  page  114  of  the  Manual  the  God  of  the  lodge  is  de- 
signated as  "a  Supreme  Intellect,  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe."  On 


24 

page  140  God  is  represented  as  the  Father  of  all  men,  who,  accord- 
ing to  page  222,  will  make  the  members  of  the  order  "sharers  of 
his  immortality  and  eternal  life."  Whether  they  believe  (in  the 
biblical  sense  of  the  word)  or  not,  makes  no  difference  with  this 
"universal  Father"  (page  366),  according  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
lodge.  On  page  388  we  read:  "Followers  of  different  teachers, 
ye  are  worshipers  of  One  God,  who  is  Father  of  all,  and  therefore 
ye  are  brethrejt."  On  page  387  it  is  said  that  "the  three  great 
religions  of  the  world  (Judaism,  Christianity  and  Mohammedan- 
ism) recognize  the  One,  only  living  and  true  God.7'  The  God  of 
the  lodge  is,  therefore,  the  "Supreme  Intellect"  (not  a  person), 
"the  Ruler  of  the  Universe,"  whom  the  Jews,  Mohammedans 
and  Christians  recognize.  That  the  Jews,  however,  have  another 
God  than  the  Triune,  everybody  knows,  as  well  as  that  the  Mo- 
hammedan believes  in  Allah,  and  not  in  the  Father,  Son  and 
Holy  Ghost.  The  lodge  teaches  that  "  followers  of  different 
teachers,"  let  them  be  called  Mohammed,  Christ,  Pope,  Confu- 
cius, Voltaire,  Paine  or  Luther,  are  "worshipers"  of  the  same 
God.  Indeed  a  dreadful  lie,  from  which  it  is  clear  that  the  lodge 
has  no  other  God  than  the  God  of  Reason,  that  God  which  every 
one,  by  means  of  his  reason,  forms  to  himself;  therefore  an  idol 
of  his  fancy,  let  him  be  Jew  or  Gentile,  a  Mohammedan  or  a 
Christian,  who  has  denied  the  faith  of  the  Bible. 

E.  There  you  go  decidedly  too  far.  When  I  say  I  believe  in 
God.  this  my  faith  is  not  from  reason,  but  from  the  Bible ;  there- 
fore I  do  not  believe  in  an  idol  of  my  own  fancy,  but  in  the  true 
God  ;  and  I  think  the  other  brethren  in  the  lodge  do  the  same. 

Ch.  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  that  you  believe  in  the  true  God 
and  not  in  an  idol  of  reason ;  but  the  question  here  is  not  what 
you  believe,  neither  what  perhaps  some  other  brethren  of  the 
lodge  believe,  but  what  the  lodge  teaches  concerning  God — what 
kind  of  a  God  it  has.  And  that  the  lodge  has  only  an  idol  of 
human  reason,  is  proved  most  forciMy  by  the  words  I  have  just 


25 

quoted,  where  it  says  the  followers  of  different  teachers  are  wor- 

«/ 

shipers  of  the  same  God.  Now,  Mohammed  was  a  teacher,  and 
taught  to  worshig  a  being  which  ho  called  Allah,  which,  how- 
ever* never  existed.  The  Pope  claims  to  be  a  great  teacher,  and 
teaches  the  invocation,  and  therefore  the  adoration  of  the  saints ; 
for  invocation  is  a  way  of  praying.  The  Chinese  follow  their 
teachers,  who  instruct  them  to  worship  idols  and  slips  of  paper. 
The  Fetish  worshipers  follow  their  teachers,  who  have  taught 
them  to  worship  shavings  and  potsherds.  Our  ancient  Germans, 
while  still  heathen,  followed  their  instructors  when  they  worshiped 
springs,  large  oak  trees,  or  the  sun  and  moon.  Can  you  now  im- 
agine that  the  worshipers  of  idols  in  China,  the  Fetish  adorer, 
the  snake  worshiper,  the  adorer  of  Allah,  and  he  who  invokes  the 
Saints,  worship  the  true  God  ? 

E.  Well,  if  they  do  not  know  him,  they  cannot  worship  him. 
But  you  consider  the  subject  in  a  very  wrong  light.  We  hold  fast 
to  the  main  point,  and  that  is,  that  there  is  a  God.  The  lodge 
does  not  enter  into  a  minute  description  of  who  or  what  God  is. 
The  main  point  is,  there  is  a  God,  and  the  lodge  holds  fast  to  that. 

Oh.  I  must  decidedly  deny  that.  What  use,  for  example,  to 
the  worshiper  of  an  idol,  is  the  God  which  he  imagines  to  dwell 
in  his  idol  of  wood  or  stone  ?  Can  this  God  save  him  ?  When 
he  dies,  can  he  grant  him  a  peaceful  end  and  receive  him  into 
Heaven?  See:  according  to  your  opinion,  the  idolatrous  heathen 
has  the  main  point,  viz.,  the  belief  that  there  is  a  God ;  and  yet 
he  lacks  consolation,  forgiveness  of  sins,  life  and  salvation,  and 
therefore  everything.  What  good  does  this  main  point  do  him  ? 
About  as  much  as  nothing.  And  what  a  terrible  insult  it  is  to 
the  majesty  of  our  God,  to  imagine  something  else  as  God,  to 
honor  and  worship  it !  That  is  to  rob  God  the  Lord  of  his  honor  ! 
No,  the  main  point  is  not  the  belief  that  there  is  a  God.  The 
main  point  is,  that  we  know  the  true  God  aright,  and  believe  in 
him.  That  is  the  main  point. 


26 

E.  Well,  I  told  you  it  is  our  duty  to  instruct  the  weak  breth- 
ren. If,  then,  some  entertain  wrong  views  concerning  God,  we 
can  teach  them  better. 

*<7A.  That  must  be  a  fine  instruction  indeed  !  When  members 
of  the  lodge,  which  set  up,  recognize  and  defend  this  false  doc- 
trine, who  have  long  ago  rejected  the  doctrines  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures,  or  have  never  believed  them, — when  they  give  instruc- 
tion concerning  God,  that  must  indeed  be  interesting.  What  kind 
of  instruction,  for  instance,  would  it  be,  if  a  Mohammedan,  a  Jew 
or  a  worshiper  of  Nature  would  teach  us  about  God,  his  Being  and 
his  Works?  A.  fine  instruction,  indeed! 

E.  I  believe,  for  certain,  that  what  our  books  say  about  God, 
is  entirely  sufficient  for  the  Lodge,  and  the  more  so  because  the 
people  of  Israel  did  not  believe  in  the  triune,  but  in  the  one  God. 

Ch.  The  question  is  not  whether  it  is  sufficient  for  the  lodge 
or  not,  but  whether  what  the  lodge  teaches  of  God  coincides  with 
the  holy  Scripture.  And  when  you  say  that  Israel  did  not  believe 
in  the  Triune  God,  I  cannot  possibly  agree  with  you.  I  can  only 
say  that  the  doctrine  of  the  holy  Trinity  is  not  so  plainly  and 
clearly  revealed  in  the  Old  as  in  the  New  Testament.  That,  how- 
ever, this  doctrine  is  contained  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  in  the 
light  of  the  New  Testament  becomes  quite  clear  and  evident,  we 
see,  for  example,  in  the  following  passages  :  Gen.  1  :  1-3  ;  Ps. 
33  :  6  ;  Numb.  6  :  24-26  ;  Isaiah  48  :  16,  61,  1,  9,  3.  Do  we, 
then,  find  passages  in  the  Old  Testament  from  which  it  is  evident 
that  God  is  not  one,  but  three  persons?  Then  we  have  certainly 
no  right  to  say  Israel  did  not  believe  in  the  Triune  God.  If  Israel 
believed  in  that  God  who  revealed  himself  to  them,  and  so  far  as 
he  revealed  himself  to  them,  then  they  had  the  right,  the  true 
God.  We,  however,  have  not  only  the  Old  Testament,  but  also 
the  New, — the  complete  Word  of  God  ;  and  in  this  word  God  has 
clearly  and  manifestly  revealed  himself  as  triune,  that  is,  one 
Being  and  three  Persons.  (Compare  Matt.  3  :  16,  17  ;  John 


27 

14  :  16,  17  ;  2  Cor.  3  :  13.)  Can  you  point  me  to  one  single 
passage  in  all  the  publications  of  your  lodge  which  proves  that 
the  lodge  believes  in  this  Triune  God,  and  requires  faith  in  him 
from  its  members  ? 

E.  That  1  certainly  cannot  do.  In  all  our  writings,  we  speak 
only  of  God  in  general. 

Ch.  It  is  well  that  you  give  it  up  beforehand.  You  might 
seek  to  all  eternity,  but  would  not  find  any,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  nothing  of  the  kind  stands  in  all  your  publications.  If  you, 
therefore,  cannot  even  show  one  passage  in  all  your  Odd  Fellow 
writings,  can  you  still  think  that  the  lodge  has  the  true  Triune 
God,  that  it  teaches  and  confesses  him  ? 

E.  I  do  not  really  know  how  to  answer  you.  I,  for  my  part, 
believe  in  the  Triune  God,  as  I  have  learned  in  the  school.  What 
others  believe,  does  not  concern  me.  Every  one  has  to  answer  for 
himself. 

Oh.  You  do  indeed  seem  to  take  it  very  easy,  but  the  matter 
is  a  very  serious  one.  Do  you  believe  one  can  join  a  society  which 
teaches  false  doctrine,  without  committing  a  great  sin  ? 

E.  I  .do  not  know  what  wrong  there  would  be  in  joining  a 
society  which  makes  material  assistance  its  principal  object,  even 
when  it  does  not  agree  in  all  points  with  our  Lutheran  doctrine. 
To  aid  and  assist  pecuniarily,  that  is  our  chief  principle. 

Ch.  I  entreat  you,  do  not  come  again  with  your  assertion 
that  the  lodge  is  exclusively,  or  even  mainly,  an  association  for 
mutual  assistance.  That  is  not  true !  See  here,  on  page  110 
of  the  Manual,  the  lodge  declares  that  its  pecuniary  benefits  are 
"hardly  the  tenth  part"  of  its  "ends  and  objects."  On  page 
261  it  is  said  that  such  as  jyn  the  order  for  the  sake  of  the  bene- 
fits "  have  mistaken  their  aim."  And  on  page  117  it  is  expressly 
said  :  "  Let  no  one  unite  with  the  order  merely  to  ...  secure  him- 
self assistance."  It  has,  therefore,  other  aims  than  mutual  aid. 
But  what  does  the  holy  Scripture  say  about  Christians  uniting 


28 

with  heterodox  bodies?  Paul  writes,  1  Tim.  5  '.  22  :  "Neither 
be  partakers  of  other  men's  sins."  That  is  done  by  joining  a 
society  which  teaches  and  defends  false  doctrine,  as  the  lodge 
certainly  does  ;  for  thereby  we  consent  to  these  false  doctrines, 
acknowledge  them,  and  assist  such  a  society  to  disseminate  them. 
And  that  is  a  great  wrong.  It  is  dreadful  to  approve  and 
acknowledge  the  perversion  of  God's  word.  In  this  way  we  make 
God  a  liar,  and  ourselves  tools  to  help  other  souls  to  be  led  into 
error  and  condemnation.  It  is  a  Christian's  sacred  duty  to  con- 
demn every  false  doctrine,  whenever  he  can  ;  to  protest  against 
every  perversion  of  God's  word,  and  at  all  times  to  coniess  his 
Lord  Jesus.  If  he  neglect  to  do  so,  or  even  does  the  very  con- 
trary, he  denies  his  Master,  who  has  purchased  him  with  such  a 
great  price.  The  Lord  Jesus  says:  "Whosoever  shall  deny  me 
before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my  Father  which  is  in 
heaven"  (Matt.  10  :  33).  And  what  position  a  Christian  should 
maintain  over  against  such  bodies  as  teach  false  doctrine,  St.  Paul 
tells  us  in  2  Cor.  6  :  14-18  :  "  Be  ye  not  unequally  yoked  together 
with  unbelievers  :  for  what  fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  un- 
righteousness ?  And  what  communion  hath  light  with  darkness  ? 
And  what  concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial?  Or  what  part  hath 
he  that  believeth  with  an  infidel  ?  And  what  agreement  hath  the 
temple  of  God  with  idols?  for  ye  are  the  temple  of  the  living 
God ;  as  God  hath  said,  I  will  dwell  in  them  and  walk  in  them, 
and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people.  Therefore 
come  out  from  among  them  and  be  ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord, 
and  touch  not  the  unclean  thing."  And  in  Eph.  5  :  11  the  same 
Apostle  says  :  "And  have  no  fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works 
of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove  them."  In  the  Epistle  to  the 
Galatians,  chapter  1  :  8,  9,  every  one  who  teaches  another  gospel 
is  even  called  accursed.  As  the  word  of  God,  then,  is  so  much 
in  earnest  and  so  particular  about  it,  1  entreat  you  to  do  the 
same.  However,  the  doctrine  concerning  God  is  not  the  only 


29 

false  doctrine  of  the  lodge.  It  has  more  fundamental  errors 
still. 

E.  Well,  what  next  will  you  discover  in  our  books  ?  I  am 
already  said  to  deny  the  Lord  ;  the  lodge  is  said  to  teach  funda- 
mental errors  ;  and  who  knows  what  next  you  bring  up  ?  But 
for  to-day  I  have  no  more  time  to  listen  to  your  further  objec- 
tions ;  you  must  put  them  off  till  the  next  time.  However,  you 
must  not  exaggerate,  must  endeavor  to  look  upon  every  subject  in 
the  best  possible  light,  and  to  speak  good  of  it  as  far  as  ever  you 
can. 

Ch.  Well,  if  you  have  no  time,  I  will  not  detain  you  longer. 
Only  come  soon  again,  that  we  may  converse  more  about  the  mat- 
ter. WQ  must  necessarily  examine  it  carefully.  • 

E.  Certainly  I  hope,  too,  you  will  gain  a  better  opinion  of 
our  ord^r  when  you  first  come  to  know  how  much  good  it  has 
already  accomplished. 

Ch-      Very  well ;    our  further  discussion  will  show. 


FOURTH   DIALOGUE. 


Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done, 
but  according  to  his  mercy,  he  saved  us,  by  the 
washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Titus  3:5. 

Ernest.  Well,  dear  neighbor,  I  am  most  anxious  to  hear  what 
further  false  doctrines  or  fundamental  errors  the  lodge  entertains. 
Since  our  last  conversation  I  have  thought  a  great  deal  what  kind 
of  false  doctrines  they  might  be.  I  must,  however,  honestly  con- 
fess I  have  not  been  able  to  discover  them.  I  then  thought  you 
must  be  a  real  hypochondriac,  who  suspects  nothing  but  ghosts, 
dreadful  spectres,  and  all  kinds  of  monsters,  when  only  a  small 
cloud  passes  over.  The  recollection  of  your  dream  confirms  me 
in  this  opinion. 

Christian.  I  would  willingly  bear  the  name  of  a  hypochon- 
driac, if  by  this  means  the  lodge  could  be  purified  from  its  really 
fundamental  errors ;  but  that,  alas  !  is  impossible.  The  false  doc- 
trines of  the  lodge  are  evident ;  and  they  are  not  lessened  in  the 
least,  even  if  the  lodge  calls  me  and  other  Christians  who  cannot 
approve  them,  hypochondriacs.  The  more  I  think  of  U,  the  more 
it  horrifies  me,  especially  because  so  many  weak  Christian  souls, 
unsuspicious  of  evil,  are  drawn  into  the  lodge,  and  gradually  be- 
come so  blinded  that  they  do  not  perceive  these  false  doctrines ; 
yea,  even  consider  them  to  be  true,  and  so  are  in  the  greatest  dan- 
ger of  losing  their  souls. 


81 

E.  Well,  really,  that  promises  to  get  interestiug.  You  are 
perhaps  ready  to  condemn  all  the  Odd  Fellows. 

Ch.  God  be  praised,  I  am  far  from  it.  On  the  contrary,  I 
love  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  would  gladly  do  them  all  manner  of 
good ;  but  their  false  doctrines  1  must  condemn ;  or  rather  not  I, 
but  the  word  of  God  condemns  them. 

E.  Which  are,  then,  these  frightful  errors?  I  am  anxious 
to  hear  them. 

Ch.     Very  well ;  for  to-day  we  will  hear  but  one. 

E.     Which  one  ? 

Ch.     Tell  me,  how  can  we  be  saved  ? 

E  I  think  you  ought  to  know  that.  The  Bible  says,  Repent 
and  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Ch.  Quite  correct.  I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  have  not  got 
so  far  as  many  lodge  members,  who  would  be  saved  by  their  own 
works.  But  does  the  lodge  teach  this  way  of  salvation  ?  No,  by 
no  means.  Before  any  one  can  repent,  he  must  be  brought  by  the 
law  of  God  to  a  knowledge  of  his  sins.  He  must  know  that  he 
has  many  times  transgressed  all  the  commandments  of  his  God, 
and  thereby  offended  the  holy  and  just  God,  provoked  his  wrath 
and  indignation,  and  deserves  death  and  eternal  damnation.  He 
must  know  that  it  is  literally  true,  when  our  Catechism,  in  the 
Second  Article,  calls  every  man  a  lost  and  condemned  sinner,  as 
well  on  account  of  original  as  for  actual  sin.  Does  the  lodge 
strive  to  produce  and  to  awaken  this  knowledge  in  its  mem- 
bers? 

E.  I  do  not  know  that  they  have  that  in  view,  and  consider 
it  to  be  quite  superfluous.  The  Bible  teaches  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, and  it  is  a  clergyman's  duty  to  explain  it  to  us :  so  the  lodge 
surely  need  not  do  it. 

Ch.  Certainly  it  need  not,  as  it  is  not  called  to  do  so.  Never- 
theless, it  does  teach  a  way  to  salvation,  and  this  is  a  dreadful 
heresy,  that  it  teaches  another  way  to  salvation  than  the  holy 


32 

Scriptures  do,  and  thereby  leads  all  who  imbibe  the  poison  of  thi* 
false  doctrine  in  the  way  to  destruction.  In  all  your  publications, 
not  a  single  passage  occurs  acknowledging  that  all  men  by  nature 
are  under  the  curse  of  original  sin  ;  no  passage  showing  that 
44  the  thoughts  and  imaginations  of  the  human  heart  are  evil  con- 
tinually"; no  passage  teaching  that  "out  of  the  heart  proceed 
evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts,  false  wit- 
ness, blasphemies"  (Matt.  15  :  19  ; — no  single  passage  from  which 
we  could  conclude  that  the  lodge  acknowledges  that  every  one  is 
accursed,  and  under  the  everlasting  wrath  of  God,  "that  con- 
tinueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law 
to  do  them"  (Gal.  8:  10.) 

E.  It  is,  however,  more  than  once  said  in  them,  that  all  men 
have  their  faults,  and  surely  faults  are  sins. 

Ch.  To  be  sure  that  is  said  in  them.  But  can  you  show  me 
a  passage  in  which  the  faults  are  set  down  as  sins  against  the  holy 
and  just  God,  and  subject  men  to  his  wrath  and  punishment; 
one  passage  in  which  it  is  said  that  we  by  such  faults  deserve 
everlasting  condemnation  ? 

E.     It  is  true,  it  is  not  considered  such  a  serious  matter. 

Ch.  The  lodge  knows  nothing  at  all  about  God's  wrath  over 
sin.  To  help  its  members  to  a  knowledge  of  their  sins  ;  to  prove 
them  to  be  poor  sinners,  is  not  at  all  its  object.  On  the  contrary, 
it  uses  all  endeavors  to  stifle  the  sense  and  consciousness  of  sin 
in  its  members,  by  continually  extolling  its  members  and  their 
deeds,  and  tries  to  make  every  man  believe  he  is  capable  of  doing 
good.  On  page  47  ff.  of  the  Manual  it  says  that  the  lodge  recog- 
nizes its  mission  to  be  "to  improve  and  elevate  the  character  of 
man  ;  to  imbue  him  with  conceptions  of  his  capability  for  good. 
From  page  112  ft",  we  learn  "  the  most  important  uses  and  aims" 
of  Oddfellowpfno  to  be  "the  imbuing  of  the  minds  of  our  brethren 
with  proper  conceptions  of  their  powers  and  capacities."  The 
praise  of  the  lodge  and  its  deeds  is  found  upan  almost  every  page 


33 

your  writings.  In  the  Manual,  page  69,  it  is  said,  for  exam- 
ple, :  "  What  institution  ....  has  accomplished  more  good  and 
prevented  more  suffering  in  so  few  years?"  On  page  68  it  is  said, 
the  order  has  "  driven  back  the  waves  of  ignorance,  vice  and  self- 
ishness everywhere,  and  has  moulded  into  a  kindred  likeness  of 
benevolence,  not  a  few  institutions  nearly  as  powerful  for  good  as 
itself."  On  page  72  we  read:  "The  name  of  Odd  Fellow  has 
been  rendered  dear  to  our  hearts  by  the  glorious  deeds  of  benevo- 
lence and  philanthropy  performed  under  it."  And  so  the  praise  is 
sounded  continually  through  all  your  writings  ;  one  can  scarcely 
*ead  a  page  or  two  in  all  your  journals  without  stumbling  over 
such  detestable  self-praise.  All  these  periodicals  are  almost  noth- 
ing else  than  compilations  of  lamentable  self-exaltation,  which 
Serves  to  blind  the  members  more  and  more,  to  awaken  and  nour- 
ish the  feeling  of  imaginary  greatness ;  and  on  the  contrary, 
gradually  to  stifle  the  feeling  of  one's  own  sinfulness  entirely. 
But  self-praise  is  no  recommendation. 

E.  But  we  are  commanded  to  do  good  works,  and  as  our  order 
does  many  excellent  ones,  I  do  not  think  it  is  wrong  to  publish 
them. 

Ch.  To  be  sure,  a  Christian  does  good  works.  But  I  beg 
you,  let  us  treat  of  that  another  time,  and,  for  to-day,  stick  to 
the  question,  How  can  we  be  saved  ?  The  first  step  to  it  is  the 
confession  of  our  sins,  as  well  as  the  knowledge  that  we  have 
thereby  deserved  God's  wrath  and  punishment.  Furthermore, 
true  repentance  and  sorrow  for  sin  is  also  required.  As  the 
lodge,  however,  knows  nothing  of  sin,  nor  of  the  anger  of  the 
holy  and  just  God  against  sin,  it  also  knows  nothing  of  repent- 
ance and  sorrow  for  sin.  It  is  entirely  ignorant  of  that  repent- 
ance which  needeth  not  to  be  repented  of.  Indeed  it  must  seem 
eminently  ridiculous  to  a  brother  of  your  lodge,  that  a  David 
should  water  his  couch  with  tears  of  repentance,  or  that  Manasseh 
should  weep  for  his  sins,  as  also  Peter.  Your  answer,  a  while 


34 

ago,  was  quite  correct,  that  we  could  only  be  saved  by  repentance 
and  faith.  Now  it  must  be  clear  to  you  that  the  lodge  neither 
teaches  nor  does  anything  that  might  lead  any  one  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  sin  ;  is  entirely  ignorant  of,  and  does  not  care  about 
repentance  before  God  for  our  manifold  sins.  As  it  therefore 
knows  nothing  about  sin  (in  the  biblical  sense  of  the  word),  knows 
and  cares  nothing  about  repentance  and  sorrow  before  God,  it,  of 
course,  knows  nothing  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  Savior  of  sin- 
ners, nothing  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  Indeed  the  lodge,  accord- 
ing to  the  position  it  has  assumed,  can  neither  know  nor  care 
anything  about  these  things. 

E.     Pray,  why  can  it  know  nothing  about  these  things  ? 

Ch.  Tell  me,  do  you  look  for  a  physician  when  you  are  not 
sick? 

E      Certainly  not. 

Ch.  Well,  the  lodge  is  not  sick  from  the  wounds  of  sin :  it 
considers  itself  quite  well  •  therefore  it  seeks  no  physician,  indeed 
will  not  have  one.  You  know,  however,  that  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  true  God  and  true  man,  is  the  physician  of  suffering  souls. 
Does  the  lodge  acknowledge  Jesus  Christ  to  b«  true  God? 
Please  show  me  one  single  passage  in  all  these  Odd  Fellow  publi- 
cations, where  Jesus  Christ  is  recognized  as  the  true  God.  Do 
show  me  one  ! 

E.  At  this  moment  I  certainly  cannot  do  so,  but  I  think 
surely  there  are  some  to  be  found. 

Ch.  No,  dear  neighbor,  there  is  not  a  single  one  in  them  all. 
Neither  can  there  be  any,  on  account  of  the  Jews  whom  you  have 
in  your  lodge,  on  account  of  the  Heathen  and  Turks  *  whom  you 
have  taken  in,  and  to  whom  the  door  of  the  lodge  stands  open ; 
for  they  would  not  suffer  it.  It  denies,  therefore,  at  least  tacitly, 


*  See  Pocket  Comp.,  page  128,  fl.  306,  309.    Manual,  p.  383.    Digest, 
p.  238. 


35 

that  God  the  Father  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only  be- 
gotten son  (John  3  :  16).  It  denies  that  Jesus  Christ  is  "the 
true  God,  and  eternal  life"  (1  John  5  :  20).  It  denies  that 
Jesus  Christ  "came,  who  is  over  all,  God,  hlessed  forever" 
(Rom.  9  :  5).  It  denies  that  "God  is  revealed  in  the  flesh  " 
(1  Tim.  3  :  16).  That  it  is  God's  will  "that  all  men  should 
honor  the  Son,  even  as  they  honor  the  Father"  (John  5  :  23). 
What  do  you  think,  however?  Is  it  a  chief  and  fundamental 
doctrine  of  our  Christianity,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
or  is  it  only  an  unimportant,  insignificant  doctrine  ? 

E.  Most  assuredly  it  is  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  our  Chris- 
tianity. 

Ch.  Certainly  it  is.  With  it  Christianity  stands  or  falls.  If 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  the  Son  of  God,  the  whole  plan  of  redemption 
is  nothing  ;  we  are,  then>  still  in  our  sins ;  cannot  through  eter- 
nity be  saved  ;  indeed  the  entire  holy  Scripture  is  then  nothing 
but  a  book  of  intense  .deception.  And  this  fundamental  article  of 
the  Christian  faith  the  lodge  rejects ;  it  therefore  robs  every  one 
who  believes  its  teachings  of  the  foundation  of  his  faith,  the 
foundation  of  his  salvation  in  time  and  in  eternity.  To  warn^us 
against  such  enemies  of  our  faith,  John  writes,  in  his  first  Epistle, 
chap.  4:3:  "And  every  spirit  that  confesseth  not  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh,  is  not  of  God  " ;  and  admonishes  us 
(2  John,  v.  10)  not  to  receive  such.  However,  he  says,  in  John 
4:15:  "  Whosoever  shall  confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God, 
God  dwelleth  in  him,  and  he  in  God/' 

E.  I  do  not  remember  a  single  passage  in  our  books  where  it 
is  said  Jesus  Christ  is  not  the  Son  of  God ;  on  the  contrary,  he  is 
often  referred  to  as  to  a  wise  man,  and  his  example  is  sometimes 
recommended  in  the  Manual  for  imitation. 

Ch.  That  is  just  the  trouble,  that  the  lodge  does  not  use 
plain  and  honest  language  when  it  speaks  of  the  subject.  It  does 
not  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  yet  it  does 


36 

not  say  so  in  plain  terms,  that  simple,  weak  Christians  can  readily 
understand  it.  It  is  not,  however,  without  design  that  it  thus 
plays  at  hide  and  seek.  Should  it  declare,  in  round  terms,  "We 
do  not  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God/'  and  should  it  make 
this  publicly  known,  how  many  of  those  who  still  value  in  some 
degree  their  Christianity,  would  it  gain  ?  Would  you  have  joined 
it  if  it  had  made  such  a  declaration  ? 

E.     By  no  means  would  I  have  done  so. 

Ch.  The  gentlemen  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States, 
who  are  at  the  helm,  and  who  have  all  the  other  Odd  Fellows  in 
leading-strings,  know  this  very  well,  and  therefore  endeavor  to 
give  themselves  a  Christian  appearance  before  Christians.  We 
have  the  Bible  and  read  in  it,  they  say  ;  yea,  they  even 
declare,  "We  believe  the  Bible,"  merely  to  catch  such  souls  as 
still  love  God's  word.  We  need  not  wonder  at  this  serpent-like 
cunning,  for  the  Devil,  the  father  of  lies,  acts  just  so.  He  trans- 
forms himself,  as  Paul  says  (2  Cor.  11  :  14),  "into  an  angel  of 
light."  That  was  his  way  not  only  with  Adam  and  Eve  in  Para- 
dise ;  he  is  the  same  to  this  day.  The  lodge,  however,  rejects  not 
only  the  fundamental  doctrine  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  but 
also  the  other  important  and  essential  truth,  that  we,  through 
nothing  else  than  Jesus'  blood  and  wounds,  obtain  grace,  forgive- 
ness, life  and  salvation.  You  said,  a  while  ago,  that  your  books 
sometimes  refer  you  to  the  example  of  Jesus ;  but  that  cannot  sav« 
us.  Can  you  now  prove  from  your  books  that  you,  with  all  your 
"faults,"  are  directed  to  the  blood  of  Christ  in  order  to  seek  for- 
giveness there? 

E.     It  is  true,  I  never  read  that  in  them. 

Ch.  I  believe  that,  for  there  is  nothing  said  of  that  in  them. 
Now,  the  holy  Scripture  teaches :  '  Neither  is  there  salvation  in 
any  other"  than  in  Jesus  Christ  (Acts  4  :  12).  It  teaches: 
"The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin" 
(1  John  1:7).  It  teaches  :  "In  whom  (Christ)  we  have  redemp- 


37 

tion  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins "  (Eph.  1  :  7)<  The 
lodge,  however,  denies  all  this,  and  rejects  the  forgiveness  of  sins 
through  the  blood  of  Christ.  The  Scripture  teaches,  further,  that 
Christ  was  made  a  curse  for  us  (Gal.  3  :  13) ;  was  made  sin  for 
us  (2  Cor.  5  :  21) ;  our  sins  and  iniquities  were  laid  upon  him 
(Isa.  53),  that  he  might  bear  them  and  gain  forgiveness  for  us. 
And  whoever  asks,  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  is  pointed  to 
him  with  the  words,  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved  and  thy  house "  (Acts  16  :  30,  31),  or  with 
the  words,  "Repent  and  believe  the  gospel "  (Mark  1  :  15).  For 
faith  in  Christ  alone  it  is  by  which  we  can  be  justified  before  God, 
as  it  is  so  clearly  and  distinctly  taught  in  the  sacred  Scriptures. 
Paul  writes  (Rom.  3  :  28) :  ''Therefore  we  conclude  that  a  man 
is  justified  by  faith,  without  the  deeds  of  the  law;"  and  (Rom. 
10  :  4) :  "  For  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to 
every  one  that  believeth."  And  the  Lord  Jesus  says  that  "  who- 
soever believeth  in  the  Son  of  God  shall  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life"  (John  3  :  16).  This,  however,  the  lodge  rejects  like- 
wise, and  does  not  believe  in  salvation  by  grace  through  the 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  lodge  does  not,  like  John  the  Bap- 
tist, point  the  poor  sinner  to  Christ  and  say;  u  Behold  the  Lamb 
of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  "  (John  1  :  29). 
No,  it  does  the  very  contrary,  and  endeavors  to  keep  every  one 
away  from  Christ. 

E.  You  should  not  pick  so  at  everything.  You  seem  to  be  a 
real  hair-splitter.  Consider  how  much  good  the  order  has  already 
accomplished  and  is  continually  doing,  and  remember  that  on 
earth  nothing  is  perfect. 

Ch.  Well,  you  must  first  remember  that  we  cannot  be  too 
careful  and  particular  with  what  God  tells  us  in  his  pure  word. 
And  in  this  matter  I  am  not  at  all  displeased  if  you  call  me  a 
hair-splitter.  I  also  promise  you  to  consider  and  properly  regard 
whatever  good  the  order  has.  And,  as  you  seem  to  take  that  so 


much  at  heart,  let  us  in  our  next  conversation  take  that  for  ouv 
snbject. 

E.  I  am  rejoiced  to  hear  that,  and  can  tell  you  that  I  shall  be 
ready  for  you. 

Oh.  Very  good.  But  to-day  I  have  to  prove  to  you  yet  that 
the  lodge  teaches  a  way  to  salvation.  That  the  lodge  don't  want 
to  know  anything  of  repentance  and  faith,  and  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
our  Redeemer  and  Savior-  and  therefore  of  the  true  way  to  salva- 
tion, you  must  see  and  acknowledge,  if  you  will  be  honest.  What 
kind  of  a  way  to  salvation  does  it,  then,  teach  ?  It  teaches,  like 
the  real  Pharisees  and  the  Pope,  a  way  of  salvation  by  so-called 
good  loorlcs.  And  this  is  so  frequently  and  repeatedly  expressed, 
that  it  is  as  clear  as  daylight,  and  not  the  least  doubt  remaining. 
I  have,  a  while  ago,  quoted  from  the  Manual  (page  47,  113)  that 
the  lodge  declares  it  to  be  its  chief  aim  to  imbue  the  minds  of  the 
brethren  with  proper  conceptions  of  their  powers  and  capabilities, 
and  to  inculcate  the  idea  that  they  are  capable  of  doing  good. 
It  teaches,  therefore,  that  man  is  of  himself  capable  of  doing 
good.  What,  however,  is  the  teaching  of  the  sacred  Scripture  ? 
It  says  (Rom.  3:12):  "They  are  all  gone  out  of  the  way ;  they 
are  together  become  unprofitable ;  there  is  none  that  doeth  good, 
no,  not  one."  In  the  second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  chap.  3, 
the  same  man  of  God  says  that  we  are  not  even  capable  of  thinking 
anything  good,  as  of  ourselves.  And  the  reason  for  this  is,  because 
we  are  conceived  and  born  in  sin  (Ps.  51);  because  the  thoughts 
and  imaginations  of  the  heart  of  man  are  evil  from  his  youth,  and 
continually  (Gen.  6:8);  and  because  out  of  the  heart  proceed  evil 
thoughts,  all  sins  and  abominations  (Matt.  15  :  19).  If,  now,  the 
source,  namely,  the  heart,  be  evil,  how  can  the  actions  be  good  which 
spring  from  a  corrupt  and  depraved  source  ?  The  lodge,  however, 
in  direct  contradiction  to  the  word  of  God,  teaches  :  Man  of  himself 
is  capable  of  doing  good.  And  further:  whoever,  as  a  genuine 
Odd  Fellow,  does  good ;  that  is,  whoever  pays  his  fees  when  due, 


39 

i 

watches,  as  is  his  duty,  with  the  sick  when  his  turn  comes,  guards 
against  grave  offences,  and  endeavors  to  lead  a  respectable  life, — 
he  shall  be  saved.  It  would  require  hours,  should  I  read  you  all 
the  passages  that  teach  this  doctrine.  To  prove  it,  I  will  adduce 
but  a  few.  In  the  Pocket  Companion,  on  page  27,  it  is  said  : 
"  They  (the  doctrines  of  the  lodge)  lead  him  to  obedience  of  the 
commandments  of  his  Divine  Maker,  in  which  HE  CANNOT  FAIL 
to  be  blessed  in  life,  death  and  eternity."  On  page  41  ff.  we  read  : 
"He  who  practices  this  charity,  and  teaches  it  to  others,  shall  be 
crowned  with  honor,  and  come  down  to  the  grave  in  peace,  with 
the  full  assurance  of  a  blessed  future"  He  can  then,  according 
page  138,  "come  up  through  it  with  joy  and  gladness  to  the  land 
of  eternal  light"  and  meets,  according  to  page  182,  "  with  an 
eternal  welcome  in  that  *  angel  land/  and  there  rests,  reclining 
his  head  "on  the  satisfactory  pillow  of  contentment."  In  the 
Manual,  page  157,  it  is  said  :  "With  '  a  conscience  void  of  offence 
toward  God  and  man/  he  lives,  .  ..  .  and  his  departure  from  earth 
is  but  a  translation  to  a  blissful  immortality."  Here,  in  clear 
and  unmistakable  terms,  it  is  said  that  every  Odd  Fellow  who 
comes  up  to  his  duties  will  be  saved,  let  him  have  a  sense  of  his 
sinfulness  or  not,  let  him  repent  or  not,  let  him  believe  in  Christ 
or  not.  About  this  the  lodge  does  not  concern  itself,  if  he  only 
is  and  remains  a  good  Odd  Fellow,  does  not  withdraw  from  the 
lodge  (for  by  doing  so  he  is,  according  to  the  declaration  of  the 
lodge,  "dead") ;  if  he  faithfully  pays  his  fees,  and  is  obedient  to 
the  lodge  in  all  things  ;  then  he  will  be  saved.  The  lodge  there- 
fore teaches  a  salvation,  not  through  Christ,  but  without  Christ; 
not  by  the  means  of  grace,  the  word  of  God  and  the  holy  Sacra- 
ments, but  without  these ;  not  by  repentance  and  faith,  but 
without  repentance  and  faith.  It  therefore  denies  the  only  true 
way  to  salvation,  and  teaches  a  false  way.  It  pretends  to  teach 
the  way  to  heaven,  but  really  teaches  the  way  to  hell ;  pretends 
to  be  a  guide  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  arid  leads  straight  down 


40 

to  everlasting  destruction.  Oh,  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  it, 
that  through  this  satanic  doctrine  so  many  weak  Christian  souls 
are  led  astray,  and,  if  they  continue  in  these  fundamental  here- 
sies, must  finally  be  lost  to  all  eternity.  What  a  dreadful  sentence 
will,  on  the  judgment  day  be  pronounced  against  the  lodge  which 
thus  tramples  the  word  of  God  under  foot,  which  for  itself  bars 
the  way  to  Heaven  by  such  false  teachings,  and  restlessly  works 
night  and  day  to  draw  more  souls  into  its  net.  The  word  of  God 
leaves  us  no  merit  as  regards  our  salvation,  and  teaches  that  we 
can  be  saved  alone  by  grace.  We  read,  for  example  (Tit.  3:5): 
"  Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done,  but  accord- 
ing to  his  mercy  he  saved  us."  In  Eph.  2:8,  9,  it  says  :  "  For 
by  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith  ;  and  that  not  of  yourselves, 
it  is  the  gift  of  God.  Not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast." 
In  Gal.  2  :  16,  says  the  Apostle  :  "  Knowing  that  a  man  is  not 
justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,  but  by  the  faith  of  Jesus 
Christ."  In  John  8  :  36  it  is  written  :  "  He  that  bclieveih  on 
the  Son,  hath  everlasting  life."  In  these  and  similar  texts,  all 
our  own  merit  is  cut  off,  and  we  are  alone  pointed  to  the  grace  of 
God  in  Christ,  to  his  bloody  merits,  sufferings  and  death.  And 
only  to  him  who,  by  faith,  apprehends  this  truth,  and  remains 
faithful  to  the  end,  so  that  he  can  say  with  Paul  (2  Tim  4:7,  8), 
"  I  have  kept  the  faith,"  to  him,  through  grace,  shall  the  crown 
of  everlasting  life  be  given.  But,  as  your  lodge  teaches  the  direct 
opposite  of  this  way  to  salvation,  and  therefore  preaches  another 
gospel,  the  dreadful  words  which  you  will  find  in  Gal.  1  :  8,  9, 
will  apply  to  it  also.  I  entreat  you  to  read  and  reflect  on  them 
before  it  is  too  late. 


FIFTH    DIALOGUE. 


So  likewiRe  ye,  when  ye  shall  have  done  all  things 
which  are  commanded  you,  say,  We  are  unprofita- 
ble servants :  we  have  done  that  which  was  our 
duty  to  do.  Luke  17  :  10. 

Ernest.  This  time  we  shall  treat  of  the  benevolence  of  our 
order,  shall  we  not  ? 

Christian.     Yes,  sir. 

E.  I  am  very  glad  of  it,  for  now  I  can,  for  once,  put  in  a 
word.  The  last  time,  you  had  it  nearly  all  to  yourself. 

Oh.  1  will  gladly  let  you  say  all  you  have  to  say,  only  I 
entreat  you  to  speak  of  good  works  in  the  sense  of  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures. 

E.     That  I  intend  to  do. 

Oh.  Then  please  communicate  to  me,  in  a  clear  and  thorough 
manner,  your  good  works,  your  deeds  of  benevolence  and  charity. 

E.  Gladly.  I  have  informed  you  repeatedly  that  our  order 
is  a  society  whose  object  is  mutual  aid  and  benevolence,  and  has 
already  been  the  means  of  doing  much  good,  and  is  continually 
doing  so.  Therefore  it  is  most  desirable  that  every  one  should 
join  it,  in  order  that  the  necessary  means  may  be  increased,  and 
the  order  extend  its  benefits  farther  and  farther ;  yes,  gradually 
encircle  the  earth  in  Friendship,  Love  and  Truth.  I  hope  now 
to  convince  you  that  these  are  not  mere  empty  words,  but  facts. — 
In  the  first  place,  that  is  no  insignificant  benefit^  that,  when  I  am 


42 

ill,  t  receive  regularly  three  or  five  dollars  every  week  during  my 
whole  sickness ;  upon  which  sum  a  family,  that  is  not  over  large, 
can  comfortably  subsist  for  a  period,  if  they  exercise  a  little 
economy.  So,  also,  it  is  not  lightly  to  be  esteemed,  that  during 
my  illness,  if  necessary,  or  if  I  desire  it,  every  night  two  brothers 
Watch  by  my  bedside  to  nurse  me,  and  with  pleasure  procure  for 
me  every  possible  alleviation  of  my  sufferings.  And,  to  have 
these  night-watchers,  my  wife  need  not  run  from  house  to  house 
to  beg  people  to  come,  nor  to  pay  these  watchers  a  high  price,  as 
is  so  frequently  the  case  ;  no,  the  lodge  provides  them  of  its  own 
accord,  so  soon  as  I  have  reported  myself  sick,  or  any  of  the 
brothers  have  found  it  out.  Should  I  die,  my  wife  need  not 
worry  where  to  get  the  necessary  funds  to  defray  the  funeral  ex- 
penses ;  the  lodge  sends  her  the  thirty  or  fifty  dollars  to  the  house. 
Indeed,  if  she  finds  it  too  hard  to  make  the  arrangements  for  thr* 
funeral,  the  lodge  with  great  readiness,  regarding  it  as  a  charitable 
act,  does  it  for  her,  and  in  a  solemn  and  honorable  way. — In  the 
second  place,  it  is  an  incalculable  benefit,  that  the  widow,  accord- 
ing to  her  necessities,  receives  regularly  her  monthly  assistance, 
so  that  she  can  look  into  the  dark  future  without  care  for  suste- 
nance. Oh,  how  many  a  widow,  after  her  husband's  death,  has 
had  to  battle  with  the  most  terrible  cares  !  How  many  struggle 
almost  desperately  for  the  daily  morsel  for  themselves  and  their 
poor  children  !  How  many  have  been  driven  by  their  necessities, 
in  despair,  to  murder  their  children  and  to  commit  suicide  !  How 
many  a  poor  widow  is,  besides,  oppressed  and  robbed  by  merciless 
wretches,  because  she  has  no  protector  !  Ah,  all  this  none  of  our 
widows  has  to  fear.  The  lodge  provides  for  them,  protects  and 
helps  them. — Then  it  is  another  great  benefit,  that  the  lodge  pro- 
vides for  the  orphans'  temporal  and  spiritual  wants  Should,  for 
example,  the  mother  not  be  able  or  willing  to  educate  the  children, 
the  lodge,  at  her  desire,  takes  their  education  into  its  own  hands, 
sends  them  to  proper  schools  and  academies,  and  sees  that  they 


43 

are  well  taught  and  trained  — Before  I  became  a  member  of  the 
lodge,  I  used  to  think,  with  great  anxiety  of  mind,  of  my  perhaps 
speedy  death,  because  I  was  then  unable  to  leave  enough  for  the 
support  of  my  dear  family.  But  now,  let  me  die  when  I  may,  I 
have  no  further  anxiety  on  this  score,  for  I  know  that  they  are 
provided  for.  You  cannot  believe  what  tranquillity  it  affords  one 
to  know  his  family  is  provided  for.  Yes,  I  could  almost  say,  I 
thank  God  that  I  have  learned  to  know  the  lodge  and  become  a 
member  of  it. 

But  the  benefactions  and  charitable  deeds  of  our  order  extend 
farther.  We  are  brothers,  have  devoted  our  lives  to  the  brother- 
hood, and  solemnly  promised  to  stand  by,  and  assist  each  other 
where  we  possibly  can.  We  derive  great  advantages  therefrom. 
For  example,  if  I  wish  to  purchase  anything,  I  go  to  a  brother, 
and  I  know  he  will  not  cheat  me,  and  will  give  me  the  goods  as 
cheap  as  he  can  afford.  If  one  is  a  laborer  or  mechanic,  he  can 
depend  upon  it,  in  case  there  are  many  lodge  members  in  the 
place,  that  he  will  obtain  work  sooner,  have  more  of  it,  and  be 
better  paid  for  it,  if  he  belong  to  the  lodge,  than  if  he  be  not  a 
member.  And  the  beauty  of  it  is,  t>hat  our  order  extends  far  and 
near,  not  only  over  the  United  States,  but  also  to  Canada,  Aus- 
tralia, Germany  and  Switzerland.  And  in  other  countries  a  com- 
mencement to  introduce  it  has  already  been  made.  Thus,  if  a 
member  finds  no  work  in  our  State  and  goes  to  another,  the 
brothers  are  immediately  at  hand  to  assist  him  and  to  procure 
work  for  him.  If  any  one  is  on  a  journey  and  becomes  sick,  he 
is  never  forsaken  ;  in  every  place  he  finds  brothers  who  are  ready 
to  help  him.  But  we  do  not  only  support  the  members  of  our 
order;  no,  we  assist  others  likewise.  Our  order  has  expended 
considerable  sums  on  such  that  suffered  want  or  misfortune  and 
who  were  not  members;  has  supported  many  widows  and  orphans 
both  in  and  outside  of  the  order.  But,  as  figures  are  said  not  to 
lie,  I  will  furnish  you  &ome.  Our  order  supported,  for  example, 


44 

from  June,  1867,  until  June,  1868,  21,344  members  and  3,911 
families.  The  members  received  $458,538.28;  the  families, 
$113,275.01;  for  the  education  of  orphans,  $19,957  were  ex- 
pended, and  for  the  funerals  of  deceased  brothers  the  sum  of 
$103,847.50.  The  total  amount  of  aid  was  $695,618.26,  whilst 
the  receipts  for  the  same  period  reached  the  sum  of  $2,110,951.66. 
In  the  second  following  year,  which  ended  with  the  30th  of  June, 
1870,  25,019  brothers  were  aided  with  $579,043.81,  and  3,876 
families  of  widows  with  $122,043.65;  the  orphans'  fund  received 
$19,444.16;  the  funeral  expenses  amounted  to  $132,659.21. 
Total  amount  for  aid  was  $859,906.  86  ;  total  amount  of  receipts, 
$2,724,419  .46.  For  1872,  the  amount  paid  for  aid  was  $1,503,- 
471.40;  whereas  the  income  amounted  to  $4,291,071.  72.  There 
was,  therefore,  a  surplus  of  $2,787,599.  72.*  Well,  I  think  these 
figures  speak  for  themselves.  I  would  like  to  know  if  you  can 
name  a  similar  association  that  accomplishes  as  much  good  as  our 
order;  but  you  will  probably  be  unable  to  find  one.  However,  you 
would  be  greatly  mistaken,  if  you  thought  these  were  the  only 
advantages  offered  by  the  lodge.  No  ;  the  advantages  and  bless- 
ings are  not  merely  of  a  material,  but  also  of  a  spiritual  nature. 
The  lodge  aims  at  the  cultivation  and  perfection  of  its  members 
both  mentally  and  morally ;  its  lessons  and  admonitions  show  how 
we  should  live,  as  virtuous  citizens,  among  our  fellow-men  ;  yea, 
it  teaches  us  not  only  our  duty  toward  our  fellow-men,  but  also 
better  to  know  and  fulfill  our  duties  to  God,  as  you  will  have  seen 
in  our  books.  The  intellectual  horizon  of  the  members  is  enlarged, 
their  minds  improved ;  superstition  vanishes  more  and  more ; 
indeed  the  mind  is  directed  to  entirely  new  objects.  Besides, 
hundreds,  yes  thousands,  by  joining  the  lodge,  are  kept  from  bad 
company,  from  frequenting  drinking  saloons,  from  gambling, 


*  See  Proceedings  of  Annual  Communication  of  the  Grand  Lod^e  of  the 
1870,  .page  4379  ?  and  1873,  page  5666. 


45 

drinking,  &c.  I  could  cite  much  more  to  show  you  the  benefits 
and  charities  of  the  order,  and  its  blessed  effects  at  home  and 
abroad.  But  to  be  brief,  the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  is  one  of  the 
most  benevolent  associations,  in  material  as  well  as  spiritual,  in 
temporal  as  well  as  moral  results,  which  exists  upon  earth,  and  I 
hope  this  brief  account  will  have  convinced  you  of  this  fact. 

Ch.  We  must  now  necessarily  consider  the  boasted  "  benefits, " 
''good  works"  and  "charitable  deeds"  one  by  one,  and  examine 
them  strictly;  for  "all  is  not  gold  that  glitters."  All  this  is, 
however,  nothing  new  to  me,  for  I  know  it  all  from  your  writings. 
In  the  first  place,  I  would  refer  to  an  expression  which  you  made 
use  of  toward  the  close  of  your  panegyric,  namely,  that  the  order 
teaches  also  duties  toward  God.  I  am  surprised  that  you  still 
reckon  this  among  the  good  works,  as  you,  as  a  Christian,  must 
now  well  know  that  it  is  a  Satanic  work,  because  the  lodge  knows 
only  an  idol  of  human  reason,  and  therefore  is  guilty  of  idolatry 
every  time  it  teaches  the  knowledge  of  him,  and  seeks  to  lead 
others  into  idolatry  every  time  it  demands  the  fulfillment  of  duties 
toward  this  idol.  You  remarked,  very  truly,  that  the  mind  of 
the  lodge  members  is  turned  into  an  entirely  different  direction. 
The  Christian's  mind  is  turned  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  faith  in  him. 
He  loves  his  Savior,  who  has  first  loved  him,  and  seeks  obediently 
to  follow  him.  This  turn  of  mind,  gradually  and  almost  unob- 
servedly,  receives  another  direction,  after  uniting  with  the  lodge. 
For  his  Lord  Jesus,  the  Savior  of  sinners,  he  suffers  an  "exam- 
ple" to  be  substituted ;  in  the  place  of  the  living  God,  an  idol  of 
human  reason.  While  formerly  his  faith  clung  to  and  received 
God's  word  with  humility,  smart  and  refined  reason  now  assumes 
the  place  of  God's  word  and  of  living  faith,  and  he  begins  to  pass 
judgment  upon  and  to  criticise  God's  word,  its  preaching,  and  the 
holy  Sacraments.  And  it  usually  does  not  take  long  before  he 
begins  to  consider  himself  highly  enlightened,  becomes  indifferent 
to  the  Word  and  Sacraments ;  indeed  he  soon  learns  to  despise 


46 

them.  It  is  not  "superstition"  that  vanishes  with  the  lodge 
members,  but  faith,  and  infidelity  steps  into  its  place.  That  this 
is  true,  experience  proves.  I  need  only  ask  you,  upon  your  con- 
science, whether  it  is  not  your  experience,  that  true  faith,  sincere 
love  for  the  preaching  of  the  divine  word  and  for  the  sacraments, 
generally  die  away  when  one  unites  with  the  lodge,  and  I  am  con- 
vinced you  must  answer  "  Yes."  This  is  the  reason  why  one  so 
rarely  meets  with  a  Free  Mason  or  Odd  Fellow  who  really  loves 
the  preaching  of  repentance  and  faith,  and  who  holds  the  church 
dearer  than  the  lodge.  The  experience,  alas  !  is  quite  common, 
that  the  members  hold  the  lodge  dearer  than  the  church,  with  her 
pure  word  and  sacraments,  with  her  preaching  of  repentance  and 
faith,  of  forgiveness  of  sins,  life  and  salvation.  Did  not  the  editor 
of  "  Heart  and  Hand  "  declare,  in  the  number  of  July  22d,  1871, 
that  he  would  much  rather  leave  the  church  than  the  lodge?  Is 
not  this  truly  frightful  !  That  you,  having  been  more  than  ten 
years  connected  with  the  lodge,  still  stand  as  you  do,  cling  to  the 
church  and  the  word  of  God,  is  a  wonder  of  God's  grace,  a  very 
rare  exception,  for  which  we  ought  to  heartily  thank  God. — But 
let  us  now  look  at  the  benefactions  singly  and  more  closely.  You 
said  that  members  in  sickness  receive  their  weekly  aid.  Where 
does  the  lodge  get  the  money  which  it  pays  in  cases  of  sickness  ? 

E.  Why,  every  member  must  pay  his  fixed  contribution  every 
week. 

Ch.  And  for  that  he  receives  the  assistance  in  case  of  sick- 
ness ? 

E.     Yes,  sir. 

Ck.  Well,  then  no  sensible  man  can  call  that  a  benefaction^ 
yea,  even  a  deed  of  charity  or  a  good  work.  That  is  nothing 
more  than  a  mutual  contract  :  A  member  pays  weekly  so  and  so 
much,  and  when  he  is  sick,  receives  therefor  so  and  so  much.  It 
would  certainly  never  come  into  any  one's  mind  to  call  that  a 
good  work,  when  two,  three  or  more  persons  enter  into  partner- 


47 

ship  to  engage  in  business,  and  every  one  pays  a  certain  sum,  and 
shares  in  the  profits  of  the  concern  according  to  the  payment  he 
made.  Would  the  company,  when  they  pay  one  his  share  of  the 
profits,  say  to  him,  See  what  a  benefit  we  confer  upon  you  by  giv- 
ing you  so  much  money?  Certainly  not.  It  is  therefore  ridicu- 
lous when  the  lodge  boasts  of  its  benefactions  and  charities,  where 
it  has  indeed  done  no  deed  of  charity,  but  simply  come  up  to  the 
obligations  of  its  contract. 

E.  But  it  is  a  benefit  for  me,  when  I,  in  case  of  sickness, 
receive  aid. 

Ch.  If  it  is  a  benefit  for  you,  you  have  to  thank  yourself,  and 
not  the  lodge,  for  it ;  for,  had  you  paid  nothing,  you  would  have 
received  nothing. 

E.  But  had  the  lodge  not  existed,  I  could  not  have  paid,  and 
therefore  could  not  have  received  anything,  and  in  so  far,  I  must 
consider  it  a  benefit,  and  am  grateful  to  the  lodge  for  it. 

Ch.  For  that  it  needs  no  lodge,  with  its  false  teachings  and 
secret  dealings.  If  one  must  absolutely  belong  to  a  society,  there 
are  other  societies  enough,  such  as  societies  for  assistance  in  sick- 
ness, laborers7  unions,  and  so  forth.  How  you  can  consider  your- 
self indebted  to  the  lodge,  I  cannot  comprehend.  I  might  with 
as  good  reason  say,  the  lodge  is  indebted  to  you,  because  you 
have  contributed  to  it.  Indeed  it  is  really  ludicrous,  that  you 
make  such  an  absurd  boasting  of  your  benevolence,  your  deeds  of 
charity  and  good  works ;  and  it  is  nothing  but  pitiful  braggadocio, 
by  which  you  want  to  catch  the  foolish  and  to  induce  them  to 
join.  What  has  become,  then,  of  your  motto,  '•  Truth  "?  I  see 
nothing  but  falsehood. 

E.  If  you  will  not  let  our  mutual  aid  pass  as  deeds  of  benevo- 
lence and  charity,  you  must  certainly  acknowledge  what  the  lodge 
doee  for  widows  and  orphans  as  such.  The  lodge  has  entered  into 
no  obligation  with  me  to  give  my  wife,  after  my  death,  a  certain 
sum  monthly,  and  yet  it  does  so,  if  there  is  need  of  it.  Still  less 


48 

has  contraticted  to  provide  for  and  to  educate  my  children,  and 
yet  it  does  so  if  necessary.  All  this  it  does  for  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  widows  and  orphans,  from  pure  love. 

Ch.     I  cannot  say  that  that  is  a  work  of  love. 

E.  Well,  you  really  must  be  struck  with  blindness,  if  you  can- 
not see  that  ! 

Ch.  Yes,  sir,  I  am  a  peculiar  man,  who  cannot  declare  any- 
thing to  be  a  good  work  or  deed  of  charity,  unless  the  Scripture 
declares  it  to  be  such. 

E.  Well,  neither  would  I  declare  any  other  to  be  good.  But 
the  Scripture  says  expressly  that  that  is  pure  religion,  when  one 
cares  for  the  widows  and  orphans. 

Ch.  We  must  first  gain  a  clear  idea  of  what  the  Scriptures 
call  a  good  work  or  deed  of  charity.  Tell  me,  what  is  a  good 
work? 

E.  Why,  when,  for  example,  we  give  to  a  poor  person  bread, 
provisions  or  money. 

Ch.  Is  that  then  a  good  work,  if  somebody,  from  whatever 
motive,  gives  a  poor  man  ten  dollars  ? 

E.      Certainly,  that  is  a  good  work. 

Ch.  Tell  me,  then,  why  do  you  contribute  that  the  widows 
and  orphans  of  the  brotherhood  may  be  helped  ? 

E.  Because  it  is  my  duty  as  a  Christian,  because  the  widows 
and  orphans  need  it,  and  because  it  will  be  very  pleasant  for  my 
own  family  to  receive  aid,  should  they  stand  in  need  of  it. 

Ch.  Would  you  contribute  to  the  support  of  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  the  members  of  the  lodge,  if  you  had  no  hope  that 
your  own  family,  in  case  of  need,  would  be  supported  after  your 
death  ? 

E.  I  must  honestly  confess  that  in  that  case  I  would  not  con- 
tribute. I  would  invest  my  savings  in  some  other  way,  that  my 
family  could  have  the  benefit  of  them  after  my  death. 

Ch.     Therefore  you  give  to  the  lodge  that  you  may  receive  it 


49 

again  ;   give  something  to  the  widows  and  orphans,  that  your  own 
may  receive  something,  if  they  should  need  it.     is  it  not  so  ? 

E.     Certainly. 

Ch.     Do  you  believe  that  giving  thus  is  a  good  work  ? 

E.  I  think  so.  It  certainly  comes  good  to  the  widows  and 
orphans,  and  benefits  them,  if  they  receive  so  and  so  much  a 
month. 

Ch.  The  question  here  is  not,  whether  it  benefits  them,  but 
whether  it  is  a  good  work,  and  such  a  one  as  Grod  himself  declares 
in  his  word  to  be  good,  and  has  promised  to  reward  in  Heaven. 
Hear  what  the  Lord  Jesus  says  (Luke  6  :  33-35)  :  "  And  if  ye 
do  good  to  them  which  do  good  to  you,  what  thank  have  ye  ?  for 
sinners  also  do  even  the  same.  And  if  ye  lend  to  them  of  whom 
ye  hope  to  receive,  what  thank  have  ye  ?  for  sinners  also  lend  to 
sinners,  to  receive  as  much  again.  But  love  ye  your  enemies,  and 
do  good  and  lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again ;  and  your  reward 
shall  be  great,  and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest.'7  In 
the  time  of  Christ  there  were  also  such,  who  lent  and  gave  because 
they  hoped  to  receive  it  again.  And  now  the  Lord  Jesus  says,  if 
ye  give,  hoping  to  receive  again,  what  thank  have  ye  ?  The  pub- 
licans and  gross  sinners  do  the  same ;  you  have  your  reward. 
Exactly  the  same  you  do  in  your  lodge :  you  give  in  order  to 
receive  again,  and  then  boast  of  it  as  of  a  good  work.  The  Lord 
Jesus,  however,  places  you,  in  this  respect,  on  a  level  with  the 
publicans  and  such  as  live  in  open  sin.  Experience  teaches  the 
truth  of  what  the  Lord  says ;  for  one  great  sinner  helps  the  other. 
It  would  certainly  be  difficult  to  find  a  thief  who  would  not  assist 
his  thievish  companions,  in  the  hope  of  receiving  aid  from  them 
at  some  other  time.  You  do  not  give  out  of  love  to  those  that 
are  widows  and  orphans,  but  (strictly  speaking)  only  from  love 
to  your  own  family,  from  love  to  your  own  flesh  and  blood. 
Surely  it  cannot  be  difficult  for  you  to  perceive,  that  to  pay  your 
money  in  order  to  receive  again,  is  not  a  good  work. 


50 

E.  Well,  these  are  queer  views  !  You  place  us  on  a  level  with 
thieves  and  robbers ;  indeed  you  will  end  by  declaring  us  all  to  be 
thieves. 

Oh.  I  do  not  declare  you  to  be  thieves.  When  you,  however, 
assert  that  these  your  payments  are  good  works,  the  Lord  Jesus 
places  your  so-called  good  works  in  the  same  category  with  the 
good  works  of  sinners  and  publicans,  who,  in  their  manner,  do 
exactly  the  same. 

E.  I  would  really  like  to  know  what  you  consider  to  be  good 
works.  You  will,  perhaps,  not  even  consider  that  a  good  work 
when  the  lodge,  for  instance,  in  public  calamities,  such  as  devas- 
tations through  fire  or  water,  assists  the  sufferers  who  do  not  belong 
to  the  lodge,  and  does  so,  often  very  liberally  and  in  large  sums, 
for  which  it  certainly  does  not  receive  anything  in  return. 

Oh.  Even  that,  according  to  the  Holy  Scriptures,  I  cannot 
declare  to  be  a  good  work. 

E.     Why  not  ? 

Oh.  Because  the  Holy  Scripture  declares  (Rom.  14  :  23)  : 
"Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin."  The  assistance  to  the  suf- 
ferers which  the  lodge  perhaps  now  and  then  bestows,  cannot 
spring  from  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  because  it  neither  has  nor  wants 
to  have  Jesus,  but  rejects  him  and  does  not  believe  in  him.  All 
your  much  vaunted  good  works  proceed  from  unbelief,  and  there- 
fore, in  the  sight  of  God,  are  nothing  but  sin. 

E.  Do  you  really  think  that  those  who  do  not  believe  in 
Christ,  are  incapable  of  doing  good  works  ? 

Oh.  No  unbeliever  can  perform  such  works  as  God  recognizes 
to  be  good  and  rewards  in  Heaven.  He  may  perform  works  which 
the  world  calls  good,  extols  and  praises ;  but  with  these  we  have 
nothing  to  do.  To  perform  works  which  are  recognized  by  God 
and  rewarded  in  Heaven,  is  impossible  to  an  unbeliever,  simply 
because  he  does  not  believe  in  Christ. 

E.     How  will  you  prove  that  ? 


51 

Ch.  Simply  by  the  holy  Scriptures,  i  have  just  quoted  what 
the  Apostle  says, — "  Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin."  There- 
fore, as  the  works  of  an  unbeliever  and  the  works  of  the  Lodge 
do  not  spring  from  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  they  are  sinful.  The 
Lord  Jesus  says  (John  15  :  5) :  "  Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing." 
Therefore,  as  the  lodge  performs  all  its  works  without  Christ,  we 
can  accordingly  pronounce  them  to  be  lost,  unprofitable,  yea,  cor- 
rupt and  rotten  works.  What  do  you  think  V  Can  we  procure 
good  drinking  water  from  a  foul  spring  or  a  mud  puddle  ? 

E.     No,  certainly  not. 

Ch.  Now,  behold  !  our  hearts,  by  nature,  are  just  such  foul 
springs ;  all  evil,  at  least  in  its  germ,  dwells  in  them,  because  we 
are  corrupt  through  sin.  From  this  evil  source  no  good  work  can 
proceed,  until  the  Lord  Jesus  by  his  word  and  spirit  has  converted 
this  evil  source  into  a  good  one.  This,  however,  only  takes  place 
when  he  brings  us  to  true  repentance  and  conversion,  grants  us 
forgiveness  of  our  sins,  renews  and  changes  us  so  that  we  are 
enabled  to  say:  "  Old  things  have  passed  away,  all  things  have 
become  new."  In  this  manner  the  Holy  Spirit  makes  us  capable 
of  performing  good  works,  that  is,  works  which  are  done  in  and 
through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  to  which  we  are  constrained  from 
ardent  love  to  him,  who  has  first  loved  us ;  which  serve  to  honor 
God  and  to  benefit  our  neighbor,  and  whereby  we  would  fain  show 
the  gratitude  we  owe  to  God.  Such  truly  believing  Christians 
give  to  the  poor,  not  to  receive  again,  but  because  they  love  Christ 
and  in  Christ  the  poor  brethren,  as  redeemed  children  of  God  and 
heirs  of  salvation.  Such  Christians  feed  the  hungry,  give  drink 
to  the  thirsty,  clothe  the  naked,  give  to  the  poor,  help  the  widows 
and  orphans,  bury  the  dead,  not  that  the  same  may  be  done  to 
them,  but  from  grateful  love  to  Christ.  They  experience  daily 
how  much  good  the  Lord  Jesus  bestows  upon  them  out  of  pure 
love ;  they  would  fain  show  their  gratitude  to  him  for  this  love 
by  doing  good  to  his  members.  To  such  Christians  the  Lord  will 


52 

say,  on  the  judgment  day  :  "I  was  an  hungered  and  ye  gave  me 
meat;  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me  drink  :  I  was  a  stranger  and 
ye  took  me  in,  naked  and  ye  clothed  me ;  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited 
me;  I  was  in  prison  and  ye  came  unto  me."  "  Inasmuch  as  ye 
have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have 
done  it  unto  me"  (Matt.  25).  The  Lord  Jesus  himself  must 
first  make  us  fit  and  capable  of  doing  good  works,  as  is  clearly 
taught  in  the  Scriptures ;  for  example,  Eph.  2  :  19,  Tit.  2  :  14, 
Heb.  18  :  21.  The  lodge,  however,  will  not  suffer  Jesus  Christ  to 
make  it  fit  and  capable  to  do  them ;  therefore  it  is  impossible  that 
it  should  perform  good  works.  Would  you  assert  that  the  lodge, 
for  Christ's  sake,  from  love  to  him,  aids  and  assists  anybody  ? 

E.  I  really  do  not  know  what  to  answer  you  ;  but  this  I  do 
know,  that  the  Christian  congregations  do  not  relieve  distress  as 
they  should  do.  And  for  this  reason  I  think  we  should  gratefully 
acknowledge  it  when  the  lodge  takes  hold  and  helps  to  mitigate 
suffering. 

Ch.  You  are  afraid  to  approach  the  matter,  as  a  cat  is  afraid 
to  touch  the  hot  porridge.  Pray  stick  to  the  point.  First  an- 
swer my  question,  whether  you  believe  the  lodge  aids  and  assists 
anybody  for  Christ's  sake.  Afterward  we  may,  for  all  1  care, 
consider  in  how  far  the  Christian  congregations  come  up  to  their 
duties.  Do  you,  then,  believe  that  the  lodge  gives  aid  for  ChrisVs 
sake? 

E.  Well,  I  could  not  very  well  assert  that ;  neither  can  we 
say  that  of  any  other  aid  or  insurance  society. 

Ch.  Very  well.  If  you  concede,  therefore,  that  the  lodge 
does  not  help  for  Christ's  sake,  then  you  must  also  concede  that 
in  doing  so  it  does  no  good  works ;  that  your  boasting  about  good 
works  is  falsehood,  and  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God,  and  is  only 
done  to  throw  sand  into  other  people's  eyes.  Indeed,  if  you  will 
be  honest,  you  must  also  concede  that  your  charities  must  displease 
God,  because  they  proceed  from  unbelief,  and  only  serve  selfish 


53 

purposes.  In  respect  to  other  aid  and  insurance  associations,  I 
would  only  observe,  that  they  come  under  the  same  condemnation, 
so  soon  as  they  boast  of  their  works  as  good  works  which  will  take 
them  to  Heaven.  But  let  us  look  a  little  closer  at  your  charities. 
It  is  true,  you  have  expended  a  considerable  sum  for  charitable 
purposes.  How  many  brothers  did  you  say  were  supported  during 
the  year  ending  with  the  30th  of  June,  1870? 

E.  During  that  year,  25,091  brothers  received  $579,- 
043.81. 

Ch.  Were  all  of  them  in  need  of  assistance,  indigent,  or  suf- 
fering want  ? 

E.  That  I  do  not  know.  With  us,  every  one  receives  assist- 
ance so  soon  as  he  is  sick,  let  him  be  rich  or  poor.  Every  one 
pays  alike  and  every  one  receives  alike. 

Ch.  Indeed  !  Then  among  these  25,000  brothers  perhaps 
there  were  scarcely  ten  who  were  really  in  need  of  it  ? 

E.     That  might  possibly  be. 

Ch.  Then  you  give  to  the  rich  and  opulent,  who  belong  to 
your  lodge,  assistance,  arid  leave  the  poor  who  do  not  belong  to 
it,  to  starve  !  The  wocds  of  the  Lord,  "  The  poor  have  ye  always 
with  you,"  do  not  concern  you.  You  support  the  rich,  the  poor 
may  starve  and  freeze.  A  fine  specimen  of  charity  ! 

E.  If  the  poor  had  joined  the  lodge,  they  would,  in  case  of 
sickness,  receive  the  same  assistance. 

Ch.  Then  your  charity  extends  just  as  far  as  the  lodge ;  where 
that  ends,  your  charity  stops  too.  Where  do  you  find  all  this  in 
the  Bible,  that  you,  for  example,  without  committing  sin,  can 
support  the  rich  and  leave  the  poor  to  hunger  and  freeze,  or  that 
you  are  right  in  making  the  lodge  the  measure  and  limit  of  your 
charity  ?  No  ;  the  Lord  Jesus  has  preached  a  far  better  charity, 
namely,  to  aid  and  serve  all  the  poor  and  needy ;  as  we  have  oppor- 
tunity, to  do  good  to  all  men,  and  not  to  limit  and  mete  out  our 
eharity  as  you  do,  Still  another  peculiarity  of  the  odd  love  of 


54 

you  Odd  Fellows,  I  have  noticed.     Tell  me,  do  you  admit  sickly 
or  aged  persons  into  your  lodge  ? 

E.  Sickly  persons,  such  as,  for  example,  suffer  from  chronic 
diseases  or  defects,  are  not  accepted,  according  to  a  long-estab- 
lished custom  of  our  order  (see  Digest,  pp.  239,  200)  ;  neither, 
as  a  rule,  are  such  as  are  not  able  to  make  their  living ;  and  per- 
sons above  fifty  years  are  generally  not  admitted,  only  in  special 
cases,  and  then  only  as  not  entitled  to  aid  (see  Digest,  pp.  241, 
250  ff.). 

Ch.     Why  do  you  not  receive  such  persons  ? 

E.  The  existence  of  the  respective  lodges  would  be  endan- 
gered ;  for  our  means  are  not  as  yet  so  extensive  as  to  afford  the 
great  amount  of  pecuniary  aid  such  persons  require. 

Ch.  Fine  love  that !  The  really  needy,  such  as  sickly  and 
aged  persons,  are  therefore,  by  law  and  long-established  custom 
of  your  order,  as  a  maxim,  excluded  from  your  "benevolent 
society'"  ! 

E.  We  can  support  them  without  their  belonging  to  the  lodge, 
and  that  is  really  done. 

Ch.  I  believe  you  can  ;  whether  it  is  done,  however,  and  in 
how  far,  these  are  other  questions.  But  I  will  not  jud^e  concern- 
ing that ;  it  does  not  at  present  concern  me.  I  am  mainly  speak- 
ing about  your  principles ;  and,  that  they  are  not  based  upon 
charity,  but  only  upon  selfishness,  is  clearly  to  be  seen.  As  you 
have  informed  me,  the  order,  in  the  year  J.869 — 1870,  received 
$2,724,419.46,  and  in  aiding  brothers,  families  and  orphans, 
$859,906.86  were  expended.  That  leaves  a  surplus  of  $1,864,- 
512.00.  What  has  become  of  this  surplus  and  of  the  surplus  of 
former  years? 

E~  The  order  has  many  other  expenses.  I  will  mention,  by 
way  of  example,  only  a  few.  Every  lodge  must  procure  a  hall, 
either  erecting  one  itself,  and  that  costs  a  great  deal  of  money,  or 
renting  one,  and  that  is  expensive  too.  Every  lodge  has  its  regalia 


55 

which  are  also  very  costly.  Every  lodge  pays  its  secretary,  every 
State  Grand  Lodge  its  Grand  Secretary  and  other  grand  officers. 
The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  has  its  secretary  and  other 
employees  to  pay.  The  latter  receives  annually  $3,000,  and  the 
secretaries  of  the  State  Grand  Lodges  commonly  receive  from  $500 
to  $2,000.*  The  traveling  expenses  of  all  the  officers,  when  travel- 
ing in  the  service  of  the  order,  are  also  paid.  The  conventions 
also  cost  a  great  deal  of  money.  The  convention  of  the  Grand 
Lodge,  in  September,  1873,  which  was  held  in  Baltimore,  and 
lasted  seven  days,  cost,  alone,  $16,995.40.  For  the  current 
expenses  (not  charities)  $47,572.40  were  allowed,  or  more  yet,  if 
required,  f  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  has  also  money 
on  interest,  but  that  is,  comparatively,  no  large  amount. 

Ch.  A  very  simple  calculation  shows,  therefore,  that  not  even 
the  third  part  of  what  you  pay  in  is  expended  in  charities.  When 
you,  therefore,  have  paid  in,  let  me  say  $300  to  the  lodge,  you  or 
your  family  receive,  on  an  average,  $95  back.  The  $205  which 
you  paid  over  and  above  that,  are  swallowed  up  by  salaries,  luxu- 
rious buildings  and  silly  regalia,  and  such  tomfoolery.  And,  as 
you  support  far  more  wealthy  and  rich,  than  really  poor  people, 
we  may  assume  that  when  a  member  has  paid  in  $300,  the  poor 
receive,  on  an  average,  $15,  or  $20  at  the  utmost,  therefrom. 
See  !  that  is  your  benevolence,  when  brought  to  the  light  ! 
Indeed  I  cannot  imagine  how  you,  a  little  while  ago,  could  say 
that  joining  the  lodge  was  advantageous.  It  brings  nothing  but 
loss  upon  loss,  and  makes  one  guilty  of  the  great  injustice,  that 
one  gives  to  the  wealthy  and  withholds  from  the  poor.  No  ;  I 
really  thought  you  had  more  sense  and  a  better  knowledge  of 


*  See  Minutes  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  of  Pennsylvania,  1871,  - 
pp.  210,411,  429. 

f  Proceedings  of  Annual  Communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States,  1873  pp.  5943  and  5898. 


56 

arithmetic  !  Whoever  wants  to  get  rid  of  his  money  and  to  pro- 
mote  injustice,  let  him  join ;  but  who,  on  the  contrary,  will  not 
squander  his  means  or  further  injustice,  let  him  keep  away  from  it.. 
Can  you  mention  to  me  one  insurance  or  mutual  aid  society  which 
is  so  enormously  expensive  as  yours,  where  one  does  not  even 
receive  the  third  part  of  what  he  has  paid  in  ? 

E.  I  am  not  much  acquainted  with  other  insurance  societies  ; 
but  I  think  you  look  upon  the  whole  matter  in  a  wrong  light.  My 
family  might,  for  example,  be  in  need  of  $300  ;  then  the  lodge 
would  give  it  to  them,  even  if  I  had  not  paid  in  as  much.  In 
this  case,  the  assistance  would  not  be  too  dearly  paid  for.  And 
when  you  represent  that  to  be  injustice,  that  we  grant  support  to 
the  wealthy,  you  are  decidedly  wrong.  The  lodge  has  obligated 
itself  to  do  so,  and  would  do  wrong  if  it  did  not  meet  its  obliga- 
tions. 

Ch.  You  have  always  boasted  of  the  benevolence  of  the  Order 
in  general,  and  now,  all  at  once,  you  take  a  particular  example. 
That  will  not  do ;  we  must  look  at  the  thing  in  general.  Can  you 
dispute  the  fact,  that  the  lodge  does  not  even  expend  one-third 
of  its  income  for  benevolent  objects  ? 

E.     That  I  certainly  cannot  do.     It  is  a  fact. 

Ch.  Very  good.  Then  it  is  proved  beyond  contradiction  that 
j-oining  the  lodge  occasions  loss  upon  loss.  And  if  you  have  obli- 
gations toward  the  rich  and  wealthy,  meet  them,  for  all  1  care ;  but 
I  beg  you,  do  not  call  that  benevolence,  yea,  even  a  deed  of  charity. 
That  is  an  ungodly  falsehood.  But  let  us  pass  on  to  other  points 
of  your  so-called  benevolence,  which  are  of  higher  importance 
than  money  or  money's  worth.  You  said  that  the  lodge,  if 
requested,  cares  for  the  education  of  orphans,  and  sends  them  to 
academies  and  schools.  What  kind  of  schools  are  they  ? 

E.  We  have  already  several  academies  and  schools  to  which  we 
send  them.  These  institutions  are  provided  with  excellent  teachers, 
capable  of  imparting  valuable  instruction  to  the  scholars. 


57 

Oh.     Do  they  also  give  religious  instruction  ? 

E.  A  systematic  course  of  religious  instruction  is  not  given, 
but  the  whole  instruction  is  in  a  certain  sense  religious ;  however, 
nothing  sectarian  is  taught. 

Ch.     Is  the  Bible  also  used  there  ? 

E.  For  doctrinal  purposes,  or  for  the  purpose  of  instruction 
or  as  a  reading-book  it  is  not  used. 

Ch.     What  is,  then,  taught? 

E.  The  same  as  is  taught  in  other  schools,  such  as  reading, 
writing,  arithmetic,  geography,  history,  and  the  like ;  in  short, 
everything  that  tends  to  make  the  children  intelligent  citizens  and 
upright  men,  and  to  qualify  them  to  earn  their  living  in  a  respecta- 
ble manner. 

Ch.  Then  you  have  heathenish  schools,  such  as,  for  example, 
the  Greeks  and  Romans  had. 

E.  What !  you  call  our  schools  heathenish  ?  No  ;  I  tell  you, 
the  teachers  and  managers  of  the  schools  are  Christians  and  no 
Heathens. 

Ch.  Do  the  teachers  and  managers  belong  to  the  lodge,  and 
are  the  schools  managed  and  supported  by  the  lodge  ? 

E.     Certainly. 

Ch.  Well,  then,  they  may  be  Christians  by  name.  But,  as 
the  lodge  has  long  since  rejected  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  as 
each  member  approves  of  that  and  confesses,  with  the  lodge,  that 
he  is  saved  by  his  works,  they  are  apostate  Christians,  and  not  a 
hair's  breadth  better  than  the  Heathen.  Indeed,  I  consider  them 
to  be  still  worse  than  Heathen,  because  they  have  the  word  of 
God,  but  do  not  believe  it,  and  will  not  be  governed  by  it ;  and 
that  we  cannot  say  of  the  Heathen.  Do  you  know  what  makes  a 
school  a  Christian  school  ? 

E.     No ;  what  does  ? 

Ch.  When  the  word  of  God  rules  therein,  and  everything  is 
conducted  according  to  it :  Instruction,  praise,  blame,  punishment 


58 

and  reward.  When  the  school  considers  it  its  highest  aim  to 
instruct  the  scholars  in  the  word  of  God  and  the  way  to  salvation, 
to  lead  the  children  as  lambs  of  Christ  to  Jesus,  to  implant  in 
them  faith  in  and  love  to  him,  that  he  may  save  them.  Is  that 
also  the  highest  aim  of  your  schools  ? 

E.     I  could  not  say  that  it  is. 

Ch.  Then  you  must  surely  comprehend  that  your  schools  are 
not  Christian,  but  teach  and  instruct  without  Christ ;  therefore 
they  are  on  a  level  with  the  heathen  schools  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans.  Do  you  think  you  can  answer  for  it,  that  you  allow  the 
children  to  grow  up  without  God's  word  and  without  pointing  them 
to  the  only  Savior  of  sinners  ? 

E.  I  do  not  know.  We  give  them  the  necessary  education 
in  all  things  pertaining  to  this  life,  and  leave  it  to  the  scholars,  at 
some  later  period,  to  form  or  to  choose  their  own  religion. 

Ch.  Do  you  think  you  act  in  accordance  with  the  word  of  God 
by  so  doing  ? 

E.     What  passage  speaks  against  it  ? 

Ch.  In  Matthew  28  :  19,  20  the  Lord  Jesus  says  :  "  Go  ye, 
therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  Teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you."  Do 
you  have  your  children  baptized  ? 

E.     To  be  sure  we  do. 

Ch.  Then  it  is  the  more  your  duty  to  teach  them  God's  word, 
or  to  see  that  it  is  done.  See,  here  is  the  express  command  of 
Christ :  "  Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
commanded  you."  Therefore,  every  one  who  undertakes  to  instruct 
or  to  educate  children,  has  the  express  commandment  of  God,  and 
therefore  the  sacred  duty,  to  "teach  them  to  observe  all  things 
which  Christ  commanded."  What  Christ  has  commanded  is  con- 
tained in  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  it  is  the  express  command  of 
God  that  we  impress  the  doctrines  of  the  holy  Scriptures  oil  the 


so 

children's  minds.  And,  that  this  must  be  done  while  they  are 
children,  and  that  we  dare  not  delay  it  until  they  are  grown  up, 
we  learn  from  many  other  passages ;  for  example,  Mark  10  :  14  : 
"  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not." 
Eph.  6:4:  "  Ye  fathers,  bring  them  up  (jour  children)  in  the 
nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord."  Joh  19  : 15  ;  Deut.  6:7; 
Ps.  78  :  3,  4.  Oh,  I  shudder  when  I  think  of  the  threefold,  grave 
sin  you  commit  in  your  schools  against  God,  against  the  poor  chil- 
dren and  against  yourselves.  You  sin  frightfully  against  God,  in 
acting  in  direct  opposition  to  his  plain  command.  You  sin  in  an 
unjustifiable  manner  against  the  poor  children,  when  you,  instead 
of  leading  them  to  Jesus,  keep  them  away  from  him  ;  instead 
of  teaching  them  the  way  to  Heaven,  namely,  repentance  and 
faith,  conduct  them  in  the  damnable  way  of  self-righteousness ! 
Oh,  never,  never  can  you  answer  for  it  before  the  judgment  seat 
of  Christ.  Believe  me,  these  children,  who  are  led  astray  by  you 
and  kept  away  from  Christ,  willl  rise  up  against  you  in  the  judg- 
ment day,  and  wherewith  will  you  justify  yourselves?  Having 
offended  the  little  ones  who  believed  in  Christ,  the  dread  sentence 
must  be  passed  on  you  which  the  Lord  announces  in  Matt.  18  :  6. 
You  also  sin  no  less  terribly  against  yourselves,  against  your  own 
immortal  souls,  which  you,  by  such  disobedience  toward  God, 
deliver  to  eternal  condemnation.  Oh,  I  entreat  you  to  reflect, 
before  it  is  too  late 

E.     Well,  I  do  not  know  that  it  is  quite  so  bad. 

Ch.  Believe  me,  it  is  so  bad,  yea,  even  much  worse  than  I  am 
able  to  tell  you.  But  to  another  point.  You  have  also  reckoned 
among  the  benefactions  of  the  order,  that  the  lodge  teaches  its 
members  to  know  God,  his  will,  and  their  duties  toward  him. 
And  so  it  is  said  also  in  your  books.  To  be  sure,  I  said  some- 
thing about  it  a  while  ago,  but  it  can  do  no  harm  to  recur  to  it. 
You  surely  do  not  mean  to  sav  that  the  lodge  teaches  to  know  the 
Triune  God  ? 


60 

E.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that.  It  teaches  to  know  one  God, 
the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  the  Universe.  Should  it  teach  a 
Triune  God,  it  would  thereby  enter  into  the  number  of  Christian 
sects  ;  but  that  it  will  not  do.  It  stands  above  parties. 

Ch.  Whence  does  the  lodge  derive  its  knowledge  of  this  one 
God,  Creator  and  Preserver  of  the  Universe  ? 

E.     From  nature,  reason  and  the  Bible. 

Oh.  You  have  therefore  learned  from  nature,  by  means  of 
your  reason,  that  there  is  one  God.  On  the  contrary,  the  ancient 
Greeks  and  Romans,  our  heathen  forefathers,  and  other  heathen 
nations,  have  learned  by  means  of  their  reason,  and  from  nature, 
that  there  is  not  one,  but  many  Gods.  Who,  then,  is  right?  The 
Heathen  have  reason  just  as  well  as  you,  and  live  in  nature  just 
as  well  as  you  do. 

E.  But  we  use  the  Bible,  which  the  heathen  nations  did  not 
have. 

Ch.  But  you  know  what  kind  of  a  God  the  Bible  teaches,  do 
you  not  ? 

E.  The  Bible  teaches  a  Triune  God,  as  I  told  you  before. 
The  lodge,  however,  uses  only  such  passages  where  it  is  said  that 
God  is  one.  It  cannot  teach  the  doctrine  of  the  Triune  God, 
because  Jews  and  others,  who  do  not  believe  in  the  Bible,  belong 
to  it. 

Ch.  You  confess,  therefore,  yourself,  and  are  aware  that  the 
lodge  does  not  teach  the  God  who  has  revealed  himself  unto  us  in 
the  holy  Scriptures.  The  God  of  the  lodge  is  therefore  none  other 
than  "  Allah,"  whom  Mahommed  teaches.  He  also  borrowed  his 
doctrine  concerning  God,  or  rather  his  idolatry,  from  Heathenism, 
Judaism  and  Christianity.  It  is,  however,  an  abominable  sin  to 
teach  another  God  than  the  Scriptures  do.  It  is  a  gross  trans- 
gression of  the  first  commandment,  which  the  holy  and  just  God 
cannot  leave  unpunished.  You  thereby  revolt  against  the  high 
majesty  of  God  himself,  rob  him  of  his  honor,  tread  it  under 


61 

foot,  and  make  an  idol  of  him.  Surely  the  weighty  words  in  Gal. 
1  :  8,  9,  do  also  apply  to  you. 

E.  Well,  for  your  consolation,  I  can  tell  you  that  very  little 
time  is  spent  in  this  instruction  concerning  God.  The  principal 
matters  that  we  are  occupied  with  are  of  quite  a  different  nature. 

Oh.  That  is  indeed  poor  comfort.  In  reality,  it  matters  very 
little  whether  the  lodge  in  every  session  teaches  to  know  its  idol, 
Which  every  one  shapes  for  himself  by  means  of  his  reason,  or 
whether  it  does  so  once  a  month  or  once  every  year.  The  curse 
of  false  doctrine  rests  upon  you,  until  you,  through  the  grace  of 
God,  are  brought  to  repentance ;  and  that  I  wish  you  with  my 
whole  heart.  You  teach,  also,  to  know  the  will  of  God ;  from 
whence  do  you  derive  your  knowledge  of  his  will  ? 

E.  Why,  from  the  ten  commandments,  to  be  sure.  They  are 
read,  and  every  one  binds  himself  to  live  according  to  them. 

CJi.  It  is  shameful  that  you  make  use  of  the  ten  command- 
ments, and  reject  the  Triune  God  who  gave  them.  How  you 
continually  transgress  the  firsb  commandment,  we  have  just  seen. 
You  lodge  members  do  not  keep  the  second  and  third  a  whit 
better,  to  say  nothing  at  all  about  the  second  table  of  the  law. 
You  continually  make  use  of  the  biblical  name  "God,"  and  yet 
do  not  believe  in  him  ;  you  profane,  therefore,  his  holy  name,  and 
take  it  in  vain.  You  use  the  Bible  in  the  lodge,  but  do  not  believe 
its  words  •  is  not  that  shameful  profanation  and  contempt  for  the 
word  of  God  ?  Instead  of  deeming  the  word  of  God  holy,  wil- 
lingly hearing  and  learning  it,  you  abuse  it  by  making  use  of  it 
and  yet  not  believing  it,  and,  according  to  your  own  words,  not 
submitting  to  its  authority.  You  make  use  of  it  in  order  to  give 
yourselves  th,3  semblance  of  Christianity,  that  such  as  still  believe 
in  the  holy  Scripture  nay  think  you  are  good  Christians,  and  may 
the  easier  be  induced  to  join.  Do  you  know  what  is  the  chief  end 
of  the  law  V 

E.     Well,  what  is  it  V 


62 

Oh.  That  it  work  in  us  knowledge  of  sin,  as  Paul  says  (Rom. 
3  :  20),  "  By  the  law  comes  the  knowledge  of  sin."  And  again 
(Rom.  1:7):  "  I  had  not  known  sin  but  by  the  law  ;  for  I  had 
not  known  lust,  except  the  law  had  said,  Thou  shalt  not  covet." 
The  law  is  to  reveal  to  us  especially  the  sin  fulness  of  our  own 
hearts ;  is  to  present  to  us  the  wrath  and  the  everlasting  punish- 
ment of  God  for  sin,  that  we  may  learn  to  know  ourselves  as  "lost 
and  condemned  sinners,"  and  long  for  a  Savior.  Then  will  the 
law  become  unto  us  what  it  should  be, — a  schoolmaster,  to  bring 
us  unto  Christ  (Gal.  3  :  24).  Then  is  man  ready  to  receive  the 
Savior  of  sinners,  who  offers  himself  unto  him  in  his  word  and 
sacraments.  Do  they  use  the  ten  commandments  in  this  way  in 
the  lodge  ? 

E.  That  is  certainly  not  the  case.  We  make  use  of  them  to 
encourage  the  members  to  a  moral  walk  and  conversation. 

Ch.  Then  you  quite  forget  the  first  and  most  important  design 
of  the  law,  and  intend  to  make  men  pious  by  the  ten  command- 
ments and  without  Christ.  In  this  you  will  never  succeed.  It 
seems  to  me  just  as  if  a  farmer  would  reap  wheat,  but  sows  thorns. 
He  will  never  attain  his  end.  You  use  the  ten  commandments  in 
order  to  lead  a  virtuous  life ;  but  for  this  purpose  man  needs 
strength,  and  this  strength  the  law  can  never  give  you.  Before 
man  is  renewed  by  repentance  and  faith,  he  cannot  lead  a  truly  vir- 
tuous life.  Christ  alone  can  enable  him  to  do  so.  As  you  thus 
make  use  of  the  ten  commandments  in  the  wrong  way,  you  not 
only  overthrow  God's  ordinance,  but  you  sow  even  continually 
the  thorny  seeds  of  self-righteousness  in  the  heart  of  a  lodge 
member.  You  teach  him  that  he  can  fulfill  the  law  by  his  own 
strength,  and  refer  him  continually  to  himself.  No  good  fruit 
can  grow  from  such  seed.  It  is  the  will  of  God  that  we  should 
come  unto  Christ,  should  remain  steadfast  in  his  word  and  faith 
until  our  end.  And  in  order  to  do  this,  a  knowledge  of  sin  is  the 
first  requisite.  Whoever  does  not  know  his  sins,  and  that  he  is 


63 

Worthy  of  condemnation,  never  comes  unto  Christ,  and  can  there- 
fore never  be  saved.  Would  you  therefore  make  use  of  the  law, 
use  it  in  the  right  way,  namely,  as  a  mirror  to  behold  and  leacn 
to  know  your  true  condition,  and  God's  serious  punishment  of  sin, 
that  the  law  may  also  become  unto  you  a  schoolmaster  to  lead  you 
unto  Christ.  In  this  way  the  law  becomes  a  blessing,  otherwise 
it  is  none. 

You  have  repeatedly  said,  and  it  is  written  in  your  books 
innumerable  times,  that  you  have  nothing  sectarian.  But  your 
entire  doctrine  is  thoroughly  sectarian.  Not  one  single  sentence, 
strictly  considered,  agrees  with  the  word  of  God.  You  have 
invented  everything  yourselves,  and  that  in  direct  opposition  to 
God's  word ;  and  therefore  your  whole  doctrine  is  nothing  but 
sectarianism,  yea,  sectarianism  above  all  others.  A  Christian 
sect,  according  to  your  doctrines,  you  are  not,  because  you  have 
not  one  single  article  of  the  Christian,  that  is,  the  biblical  doc- 
trine. But  you  are  a  religious,  anti-christian  sect,  by  your  teach- 
ings. If  you  now  represent  that  also  to  be  one  of  the  benefactions 
of  the  order,  that  two  brothers  watch  by  the  bedside  of  the  sick 
and  dying,  I  must  entreat  the  good  God  to  graciously  guard  me 
against  this  benefit.  When  I  am  sick  and  dying,  I  want  the  con- 
solations of  the  divine  word  and  the  blessing  of  believing  prayer. 
The  true  Odd  Fellow,  who  believes  the  doctrine  of  the  lodge,  can 
afford  me  neither.  He  cannot  in  faith  comfort  and  strengthen 

o 

me  from  God's  word,  nor  pray  for  me  out  of  a  believing  heart  for 
Christ's  sake.  For  this  I  need  truly  believing  Christians,  who, 
by  their  faith,  can  comfort  and  strengthen  me  out  of  God's  word ; 
can  point  me  to  Christ  as  my  only  Savior ;  can  repeat  to  me  his 
consoling  promises  in  the  last  struggle,  which  is  often  a  hard  one, 
and  pray  in  the  power  of  the  spirit.  I  pray  God  that  he  grant 
me  such  in  my  dying  hours. 

Although,  in  my  opinion,  this  ought  to  suffice  to  convince  you 
that  the  lodge  does  no  truly  good  works,  I  will  yet  refer  to  another 


64 

thing  which  you  mentioned.  Did  you  not  say  that  the  lodge 
brothers  assisted  and  helped  each  other  whenever  it  was  possible 
to  do  so  ? 

E.     Certainly  I  said  so,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  we  do  so. 

Oh.  Well,  I  see  in  this  respect  you  are  a  good  Odd  Fellow. 
Four  instruction  books  enjoin  this  duty  upon  you,  as,  for  exam- 
ple, Manual,  p.  178  ff.  132;  Pocket  Companion,  p.  13,176  ff.  ; 
and  you  have  promised  the  lodge  to  do  so.  If  you,  for  instance, 
should  need  a  workman,  and  there  were  two,  suppose  one  was  a 
member  of  the  lodge,  but  belonged  to  no  Christian  congregation 
and  never  attended  church  ;  the  other  was  a  true  Christian  and 
member  of  a  church,  but  did  not  belong  to  the  lodge  ;  they  both 
alike  needed  work  and  were  equally  skillful ;  which  of  these  two 
would  you  take  ? 

E.  I  would  most  assuredly  take  him  who  belongs  to  the  lodge, 
for  by  so  doing  I  would  keep  the  promise  I  gave  in  the  lodge,  and 
know  that  I  had  a  faithful  workman.  You  surely  do  not  consider 
that  a  sin,  do  you  ? 

Ch.     Do  you  know  what  is  written  in  Gal.  6:10? 

E.     No.    What  is  written  there? 

Ch.  "As  we  have  therefore  opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto 
all  men,  especially  unto  them  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith." 
The  word  of  God,  therefore,  tells  us  we  should  especially,  that  is, 
firstly,  chiefly,  particularly,  before  all  things,  do  good  to  them 
that  are  of  the  household  of  faith.  But  you,  and  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  lodge,  say  :  No  ;  firstly,  chiefly  to  my  brother  of  the 
lodge.  See ;  in  such  cases,  if  you  wish  to  be  a  Christian  and  a 
member  of  the  lodge  at  the  same  time,  you  cannot  help  yourself; 
you  must  commit  sin,  act  as  you  will.  If  you  do  good  firstly  and 
especially  to  the  members  of  the  lodge,  you  transgress  God's  holy 
commandment.  If  you,  on  the  other  hand,  do  good  firstly  and 
especially  to  your  brethren  of  the  household  of  faith,  you  break 
the  promise  given  in  the  lodge.  Is  that  not  dreadful,  to  be  under 


65 

necessity  to  sin  ?  And  we  know  that  the  wrath  of  God  from 
heaven  is  revealed  upon  all  sin  and  injustice  (Roin.  2),  and  that 
it  is  a  fearful  thing,  as  a  willful  transgressor  of  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  holy  and  righteous  God.  Indeed 
I  do  not  know  how  I  could  rest  if  I  belonged  to  such  a  society. 

We  have  now,  at  your  wish,  tested  the  "good  works"  of  the 
order  by  the  light  of  God's  word.  It  is  true,  we  have  not 
exhausted  the  subject ;  but  so  much  we  have  already  seen,  that 
not  a  single  good  work  stands  the  test  May  God  in  mercy  grant 
that  we  learn  to  know  his  word  and  his  will  aright,  and  through 
him  be  delivered  from  everything  that  prevents  us  from  living 
according  to  his  blessed  word  !  Amen  ! 


SIXTH    DIALOGUE. 


And  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will 
I  do,  that  the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son. 
John  14  :  13. 

Ernest.  Judging  from  your  previous  expressions,  I  must  con- 
clude that  you  have  still  more  objections  against  the  lodge.  Is  it 
not  so  ? 

Christian.      Certainly,  I  have  still  more. 

E.     Pray,  which  are  they  ? 

Ch.  I  would  like  again  to  take  up  one  point  at  a  time.  Do 
they  pray  in  your  lodge  ? 

E.  Yes,  the  chaplain  opens  and  closes  every  meeting  with 
prayer.  It  is  expressly  recommended  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States,  as  you  can  yourself  read  in  the  Digest,  p.  342, 
where  it  is  said  :  "It  is  highly  desirable  and  eminently  proper 
that  all  lodges  should  be  opened  and  closed  with  prayer."  See 
also  Manual,  p.  248  ff. 

Ch.  Yery  well :  we  will  suppose  you  pray  to  the  true  God  ; 
upon  what  do  you  ground  the  hope  that  your  prayer  is  heard  ? 

E.  I  suppose  upon  this, — that  God  is  our  Father  and  we  are 
his  children.  We  entreat  him,  as  beloved  children  entreat  their 
affectionate  father,  and,  as  God  is  our  Father,  he  hears  our 
prayer. 

Ch.  How  can  you  prove  that  God  is  your  Father  and  that 
you  are  his  children  ?  I  well  know  that  your  books  repeat  it  a 


67 

hundred  times ;  for  instance,  Manual,  pp.  109,  140,  375,  385, 
866,  222, ;  Pocket  Comp.,  p.  33 ;  but  pray,  prove  it. 

E.  God  created  us  his  children  after  his  own  image ;  there- 
fore we  are  his  children  and  he  is  our  Father. 

Ch.  Most  assuredly  God  created  our  first  parents  as  his  chil- 
dren, after  his  own  likeness.  But  what  has  become  of  this  like- 
ness of  God,  and  of  God's  children  ?  Do  you  not  know  that  our 
first  parents  turned  away  from  God  unto  the  devil,  were  disobedi- 
ent to  God  and  obeyed  the  devil  ?  By  such  disobedience  to  God 
and  obedience  to  the  devil,  men  became  the  servants  of  the  latter, 
and  "  are  taken  captive  by  him  at  his  will"  (2  Tim.  2  :  26). 
Through  sin  they  became  like  unto  the  devil,  and  have  lost  their 
glorious,  innate  and  divine  qualities,  and  in  their  stead  received 
qualities  like  the  deviPs.  For  example,  before  the  fall  they  were 
holy,  after  it,  unholy ;  before,  righteous,  afterward,  unrighteous. 
In  the  place  of  love  to  God,  entered  slavish  fear,  aversion,  yea, 
even  inward  hatred ;  in  the  place  of  uprightness  came  dissimula- 
tion and  hypocrisy ;  in  the  place  of  truth  entered  lies.  The  Lord 
Jesus  however  declares  (John  8  : 44)  all  liars  to  be  children  of  the 
devil,  and  the  Apostle  says  (1  John  3:8):  "  He  that  committeth 
sin  is  of  the  devil."  And  that  the  wrath  of  God  and  punishment 
follow  sin,  we  learn  from  the  Scriptures.  Where  are,  then,  the 
children  of  God,  who  have  a  claim  to  eternal  life  ? 

E.  You  surely  will  not  declare  us  all  together  to  be  the  chil- 
dren of  the  devil  ? 

Ch.  That  be  far  from  me,  to  declare  this  one  or  that  one  to  be 
children  of  the  devil.  But  I  do  say,  as  the  word  of  God  says, 
that  we  by  nature  are  all  in  the  kingdom  of  darkness  (therefore 
the  deviPs),  in  the  power  of  the  devil  (Acts  26  :  18),  and  serve 
him  with  all  our  thoughts  and  deeds.  Does  not  even  the  Apostle 
Paul  reckon  himself,  according  to  his  former  walk,  among  those 
who  served  the  prince  of  darkness  (Eph.  2  : 1-3)  ?  and  yet  he  at 
that  time  led  an  outwardly  moral,  yea,  strictly  pure  life.  As  we, 


68 

therefore,  are  all  by  nature  children  of  the  devil  and  of  wrath, 
we  cannot  possibly  believe  that  we  are  God's  children  and  will  be 
saved,  because  he  has  created  us.  If  we  desire  to  be  saved,  we 
must  first  "become  the  children  of  God;  otherwise  it  is  utterly 
impossible. 

E.     How,  then,  can  we  become  children  of  God  ? 

Ch.  The  holy  Scripture  tells  us  clearly  and  plainly.  In  John 
1  :  12  we  read  :  "  As  many  as  received  him  (Jesus  Christ)  to  them 
gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe 
on  his  name,  which  were  born  .  .  .  of  God."  Paul  testifies  (Gal. 
3  :  26) :  "  For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ 
Jesus/'  because,  he  says,  they  have  "put  on  Christ.''  Only 
through  Jesus  Christ  and  the  work  of  redemption  that  he  wrought, 
can  we  attain  to  the  adoption  as  children  of  God,  as  the  Scripture 
says  (Eph.  1:5):  "  Having  predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of 
children  by  Jesus  Christ  to  himself.''  These  texts  declare  clearly 
and  distinctly,  that  solely  through.  Christ  can  we  attain  to  the 
adoption  as  children  of  God.  Whoever  suffers  himself  to  be 
called,  enlightened  and  brought  to  faith  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
embraces  and  accepts  Jesus  Christ  by  faith,  to  him  he  gives  power 
to  become  and  to  remain  a  child  of  God.  On  the  contrary,  all 
those  who  do  not  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  are  not  children  of  God 
in  the  true,  full  sense  of  the  word.  And,  as  the  lodge  does  not 
believe  in  Christ,  does  not  and  will  not  recognize  him,  it  does  not 
consist  of  God's  children.  God  is  not  their  Father,  and  they  are 
not  his  children.  Do  not  misunderstand  me ;  I  do  not  mean  to 
say  that  there  are  no  children  of  God  in  the  lodge.  It  can  possi- 
bly be  that  here  and  there  a  weak  soul,  that  believes  in  Christ, 
has  been  tempted  to  join  the  lodge,  who  does  not  know  its  fright- 
ful heresies,  and  therefore  does  not  see  the  danger.  With  such, 
it  is  a  sin  of  ignorance.  But  so  soon  as  they  come  to  this  knowl- 
edge, they  will  renounce  the  communion  of  the  lodge  and  confess 
Christ. 


6$ 

E.  But  still  it  seems  to  me  as  if,  upon  the  whole,  you  consider 
us  to  be  children  of  the  devil. 

Ch.  As  I  said  before,  the  right  of  judging  persons  does  not 
belong  to  me  ;  therefore  I  cannot  and  dare  not  say  this  or  that 
one  is  a  child  of  the  devil.  Every  Christian,  however,  must  say, 
with  the  Scriptures  :  Whosoever  does  not  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  is 
no  child  of  God,  but  of  the  devil.  Your  lodge  and  your  doctrines 
have  their  origin  in  unbelief.  Whoever  assents  to  your  false  doc- 
trines, approves  of  them,  defends  and  seeks  to  spread  them,  know- 
ing that  they  do  not  coincide  with  the  Scriptures,  cannot  be  a 
child  of  God. 

E.  You  began  with  speaking  about  praying.  What  was  your 
motive  in  doing  so  V 

Ch.  I  had  a  twofold  motive  :  1,  to  assure  myself  that  the 
prayer  of  your  lodge  is  not  heard,  indeed  is  sinful  for  every  true 
Christian  ;  2,  in  order  to  hear  once  more  the  witness  of  the  Scrip- 
tures that  the  lodge  has  no  God. 

E.  You  think,  therefore,  that  the  prayers  we  offer  in  the 
lodge  are  not  heard  and  answered  ? 

Ch.  Certainly.  Do  you  not  know,  from  your  Catechism,  how 
we  must  pray  if  we  wish  to  be  heard  ? 

E.     Our  Catechism  says  :   In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Ch.  Well,  will  you  now  affirm  that  your  Chaplain,  in  opening 
and  closing  the  lodge,  at  funerals  and  dedications  of  lodges,  prays 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  ? 

E.  No,  I  will  not  assert  that.  He  dare  not  do  it.  Ti.e 
prayers  are  prescribed  to  him,  and  to  the  use  of  these  formulas 
he  is  limited  But  I  do  assert  that  I  pray  with  the  lodge,  and 
think  of  Jesus  Christ  in  my  prayer. 

Ch.  I  am  glad  you  own  that  the  Chaplain,  praying  at  the 
request  of  and  in  obedience  to  the  lodge,  does  not  offer  up  his 
prayer  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  It  is  also  too  clearly  and  plainly 
written  so  in  your  books.  A  large  number  of  so-called  prayers 


are  found  in  them  ;  for  example,  Manual,  p.  241,  ff.  466, 
473  ff.  505,  507  ;  Pocket  Comp.,  p.  189  ff.  244,  250  ff.  ;  but  not 
one  of  them  is  offered  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Chap- 
lain is  expressly  directed  to  use  these  forms  in  his  prayers.  In 
Pocket  Comp.,  p.  166,  it  says :  "  His  duty  is  to  open  and  close  the 
meetings  with  prayer  (using  none  other  than  the  prescribed  form)." 
Your  book  of  laws  (Digest)  also,  on  page  341,  forbids  to  offer  any 
other  than  the  prescribed  prayers.  Indeed,  should  a  Chaplain 
undertake  to  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  any  member  need  only 
protest  against  it,  and  he  must  immediately  desist  from  it.  As, 
then,  the  lodge  does  not  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  dare  not 
even  do  so,  these  prayers  are  only  such  as  God  cannot  hear. 

E.     What  do  you  call  praying  in  the  name  of  Jesus  V 

Ch.  We  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  when  we  firmly  rely  and 
rest  upon  the  merits  of  Christ ;  that  is,  that  we  approach  God  in 
prayer,  relying  upon  the  redemption  of  Christ,  present  our  peti- 
tion to  him,  because  he  graciously  has  commanded  us  so  to  do 
(has  vouchsafed  us  the  honor  to  dare  to  pray),  and  has  mercifully 
promised  that  he  will  hear  us.  Whoever,  now,  believes  in  Christ, 
confides  in  his  promises,  and  alone  for  his  sake,  and  not  on  account 
of  his  own  righteousness,  entreats  to  be  heard  and  believingly 
expects  it,  he  prays  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  And  such  prayer  has 
the  express  promise  that  it  shall  be  heard  (John  14  : 13,  14;  16  :  24). 
But  without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God  and  to  pray  in 
such  a  manner  that  one's  prayer  may  be  granted  (Heb.  6  :  11). 
As  the  lodge,  however,  does  not  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  it  has 
no  promise  that  it  will  be  heard ;  indeed  God  cannot  hear  you. 

E.     Why  cannot  God  hear  us? 

Ch.  Because  you  do  not  come  to  him,  relying  upon  Christ's 
righteousness,  but  upon  your  own  ;  you  tread  his  commandments 
under  foot  and  subvert  his  ordinances.  Your  own  righteousness, 
however,  before  God  is  nothing  but  unrighteousness,  which  he 
must  punish.  How  can  God  possibly  hear  you,  when  you  appear 


71 

before  him  deserving  punishment,  and  yet  do  not  seek  and  entreat 
pardon  and  reconciliation  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  but  approach 
him  with  your  so-called  "good  works, "  praising  and  boasting  of 
yourselves.  Truly,  God  would  cease  to  be  holy  and  just,  if  he 
would  hear  you,  and  that  is  impossible. 

E.     And  are  our  prayers  even  sinful  ? 

Oh.  To  be  sure.  Everything  that  is  done,  thought  or  spoken 
against  God's  commandments,  is  sin.  God  wills  that  we  should 
call  upon  him  in  the  name  of  his  dear  Son,  and  only  for  the  sake 
of  the  reconciliation  which  has  taken  place  through  him,  shall  we 
ask  every  good  thing,  for  time  and  eternity.  This,  however,  you 
neither  do  nor  wish  to  do.  Therefore  every  one  of  your  prayers 
is  of  itself  sin.  The  prayer  of  the  lodge,  however,  is  a  double, 
nay,  threefold  sin  to  every  Christian  who,  knowing  that  we  should 
pray  in  Jesus'  "name,  nevertheless  prays  with  the  lodge  con- 
trary to  God's  commandments  and  statues,  without  even  once 
publicly  and  earnestly  protesting  against  it.  Such  a  one  denies 
his  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  purchased  him,  denies  his  faith, 
and  is  worse  than  a  Heathen.  Tke  words  apply  to  him  :  "  That 
servant  which  knew  his  lord's  will,  and  prepared  not  himself, 
neither  did  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many 
stripes"  (Luke  12:  47);  and:  "  Whosoever  shall  deny  me  be- 
fore men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my  Father  which  is  in 
Heaven"  (Matt.  10:33). 

E.     But  I  told  you  that  I  think  of  Jesus  during  prayer. 

Ch.  That  can  indeed  not  exonerate  you.  By  so  doing,  you 
confess  that  you  know  how  Christians  ought  to  pray,  and  yet 
always  pray  with  the  lodge  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
silently  approve  of  its  false  prayers ;  therefore  you  deny  your 
'faith  in  the  word  of  God,  and  by  your  silence  and  participation 
strengthen  the  ignorant.in  the  error  that  their  prayers  are  right, 
and  make  yourself  continually  a  partaker  of  other  men's  sins. 
As  you  nevertheless  still  cling  to  the  church,  which  many  of  your 


72 

lodge  members  do  not,  they  certainly  must  think  :  "  If  our  prayers 
were  not  right,  Brother  Ernst  would  surely  say  something  about 
it ;  but,  as  he  says  nothing,  our  prayers  are  certainly  right  and 
Christian."  Thus  by  your  silence  you  strengthen  other  souls  in 
their  error,  and  for  this  there  is  no  excuse.  Do  you  know  who 
alone  can  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  ? 

E.  Of  course,  only  a  Christian,  who  knows  and  believes  in 
Jesus. 

Ch.  You  are  right.  A  Heathen  or  Jew  cannot  pray  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  because  he  does  not  believe  in  Christ.  Do  you 
desire  still  another  testimony  from  your  own  book,  as  further 
proof  that  the  lodge  will  suffer  no  prayer  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
indeed  no  Christian  prayer?  Then  read  what  is  said  on  page  166 
of  the  Pocket  Companion  concerning  the  Chaplain.  There  it  is 
said,  in  plain  words:  "  It  is  scarcely  necessartf  to  add  that  the 
Chaplain  should  be,  if  not  a  Christian,  at  least  a  moral  man." 
Therefore  the  lodge  is  satisfied  with  any  Jew  or  Gentile,  any  one 
who  denies  Christ  or  despises  God,  as  a  Chaplain,  provided  he 
leads  a  moral  life,  or,  in  other  words,  is  not  guilty  of  grave  offences. 
There  remains,  therefore,  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  that  the  lodge 
will  have  no  Christian  prayer,  but  only  such  to  which  a  Heathen,  a 
Jew,  or  a  denier  of  Christ,  as  such,  can  assent  to.  In  short,  it  wants 
a  prayer  that  Jew  and  Gentile  can  say  Amen  to,  a  heathenish  prayer. 
That  must  surely  be  a  dreadful  thing  to  every  true  Christian. 

E.  That  is  indeed  too  evident  for  me  to  raise  any  forcible 
objection  against  it.  But  before  I  say  anything  further,  I  would 
beg  you  to  give  me  the  Scripture  proof  for  your  other  assertion, 
that  the  lodge  has  no  God. 

Ch.  Most  willingly.  I  have  repeatedly  proved  to  you  that 
the  lodge  does  not  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  does  not  recognize  him 
to  be  the  Son  of  God,  does  not  esteem  him  to  be  its  Savior  and 
Redeemer.  But  what  does  the  Scripture  say  of  those  who  do  not 
recognize  and  honor  Jesus  as  true  God  ?  It  says  (1  John  2  :  23)  : 


73 

"  Whosoever  denieth  the  Sony  the  tame  hath  not  the  Father." 
There  are,  perhaps,  many  in  the  lodge  who  think  they  pray  to 
the  true  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  but  they  err 
grievously.  As  the  lodge  does  not  believe  in  Christ  as  the  Son  of 
God,  and  consequently  has  not  the  Son,  therefore  the  word  of  God 
judges  it  hath  not  the  Father.  Moreover,  in  2  John  5,  it  is  said  : 
"  Whosoever  transgresseth,  and  abideth  not  in  the  doctrine  of 
Christ,  hath  not  God.  He  that  abideth  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
he  hath  both  the  Father  and  the  Son."  The  lodge,  not  having 
remained  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  but  having  turned  aside  from 
it  in  every  respect,  indeed  teaching  the  very  contrary  from  what 
Christ  teaches,  is  judged  by  the  word  of  God  that  "it  hath  no 
God."  The  (rod  to  whom  you  pray  in  the  lodge  is  an  idol,  a 
creature  of  every  one's  own  imagination,  which  nowhere  exists, 
which  can  neither  help  nor  save  you  ;  least  of  all,  in  your  dying 
hour,  can  comfort  you  and  grant  you  a  happy  end.  To  pray  to 
such  an  idol  of  one's  imagination  or  reason,  one  need  not  be  a 
Christian  ;  every  Jew,  Gentile,  Turk  and  denier  of  Christ  can  do 
that.  Indeed,  true  Christians,  faithful  children  of  God,  are  not 
fit  for  that,  because  they  are  incapable  of  so  grievously  transgress- 
ing the  first  and  holiest  of  all  commandments.  According  to  the 
judgment  of  the  sacred  Scripture,  the  lodge  has  no  God.  That  is 
frightful  !  I  would  be  terribly  uneasy  in  such  company.  Who- 
soever is  without  God,  is,  according  to  Ephesians  2  :  12,  without 
a  Savior  and  Redeemer,  "an  alien  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  and  a  stranger  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no 
hope"  of  everlasting  life.  Blessed  is  he  who  considers  this  in 
time.  Our  last  hour  may  come  very  suddenly. 

E.  In  the  light  of  these  plain  texts,  one  can  hardly  judge 
otherwise.  But  before  you  proceed,  I  would  like  to  mention 
something  else,  which  has  caused  me  great  uneasiness  since  our 
last  conversation. 

Ch.     What  is  it  ? 


74 

E.  From  Gal.  6  :  10  I  have  learned  that  we,  as  Christians, 
should  first  do  good  to  those  that  are  of  the  household  of  faith. 
Hitherto  I  have  not  done  so.  One  case,  in  particular,  oppresses 
me.  Several  years  ago,  I  had  need  of  a  workman  for  a  length  of 
time*  There  Were  two  to  be  had.  The  one  was  very  poor,  had  a 
large  family,  was  a  member  of  the  church,  attended  church  regu- 
larly, and  seemed  to  be  a  pious  man ;  at  least,  I  never  heard  any 
evil  of  him ;  but  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  lodge.  The  other 
made  a  good  living,  seldom  went  to  a  church,  and,  as  I  learned 
afterwards,  believed  neither  in  God,  Heaven  nor  Hell.  But, 
because  he  was  a  lodge-member,  I  employed  him  instead  of  the 
other.  At  that  time,  I  did  not  feel  any  great  uneasiness  about  it. 
1  know  very  well  that  my  conscience  reproved  me,  but  I  quieted 
its  scruples  with  tne  promise  I  had  made  on  entering  the  lodge,  to 
support,  aid  and  assist  the  brethren.  I  even  said  to  myself:  Why 
did  he  not  join  the  lodge?  then  I  could  have  employed  him.  The 
poor  man  came  into  great  distress,  because  he  was  for  a  long  time 
out  of  work.  His  wife,  who  seemed  to  be  of  a  somewhat  fretful 
temperament,  often  shed  bitter  tears,  when  she  did  not  know  what 
she  and  her  little  ones  should  eat.  Times  being  hard,  and  little 
work  to  be  had,  he  could  only,  with  great  pains  and  trouble,  pro- 
oure  a  scanty  support  for  his  family.  At  length,  he  sold  out 
everything,  even  to  his  beds,  to  procure  the  necessary  means  for 
removing  to  another  State.  I  am  now  very  sorry  for  having  acted 
so  at  that  time.  I  wish  I  had  done  otherwise.  I  have  certainly 
done  wrong,  have  I  not? 

Ch.  Alas,  you  have  greatly  sinned.  You  have  committed  a 
twofold  wrong.  In  the  first  place,  you  have  acted  contrary  to 
the  word  of  God,  which  says  we  should  especially  do  good  to  them 
which  are  of  the  household  of  faith  ;  and  secondly,  you  have  sin- 
ned against  charity,  by  giving  employment  and  bread  to  him  who 
needed  it  the  least.  Charity  aids  and  assists,  first  of  all,  those  who 
stand  most  in  need  of  it. 


75 

E.  I  am  truly  sorry  for  it,  and  it  burdens  my  conscience.  I 
should  like  to  have  your  advice  what  I  should  do. 

Ch.  In  the  first  place,  I  would  advise  you  earnestly  to  entreat 
God  to  forgive  you,  and  then  - 

E.     I  have  already  done  so,  but  I  find  no  peace. 

Ch.  Then  the  fault  lies  entirely  in  yourself,  either  in  your 
faith  or  in  your  understanding.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  suffered  on 
Calvary  for  all  sins,  and  has  shed  his  precious  blood  for  this  sin 
of  yours  also,  and  will  gladly  forgive  you.  Nay,  more  ;  he  offers 
you  the  forgiveness  of  this  sin  also,  and  only  desires  that  you  do 
not  reject  it. 

E.  Where  does  God  offer  me  the  forgiveness  of  this  sin 
also? 

Ch.  In  his  blessed  word  and  sacrament.  In  the  Epistle  to 
the  Ephesians,  1  :  7,  we  read  :  "  In  whom  (Christ)  we  have 
redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins."  These 
words  are  spoken  to  you  and  to  me,  and  in  speaking,  or  rather 
causing  them  to  be  spoken  to  us,  God  brings  us  forgiveness  and 
offers  it  to  us.  Whoever,  now,  believes  these  words  with  his  whole 
heart,  enjoys  what  they  indicate  and  declare,  namely,  the  remis- 
sion of  sins.  And,  that  we  should  in  no  wise  doubt  that  such 
gracious  words  apply  to  all  sins,  John  writes,  in  his  first  Epistle, 
1:7:  "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin."  Not  a  single  sin,  be  it  great  or  small,  wilfully  or  ignorantly 
committed,  is  excepted.  The  Lord  Jesus  has  suffered  for  all  sins 
and  for  all  sinners.  Whoever  sincerely  repents  of  his  sins,  and 
believes  in  Christ  with  his  whole  heart,  enjoys,  through  such  faith, 
the  forgiveness  of  them.  In  the  Communion  we  receive  likewise 
forgiveness  of  sins.  But  why  should  I  explain  it  to  you  any  fur- 
ther ?  You  know  your  Catechism,  and  it  teaches  us  from  the 
Scriptures,  that  through  these  words  in  the  Sacrament,  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  life  and  salvation,  are  imparted.  If,  now,  in  spite  of 
such  a  declaration  on  the  part  of  pur  God,  we  cannot  enjoy  peace. 


76 

the  fault  certainly  does  not  lie  with  him,  but  with  ourselves,  in 
that  we  in  some  way  or  other  hinder  the  grace  of  God. 

E.  It  comforts  me  to  hear  such  words  of  Scripture  ;  but  it 
always  seems  as  if  they  did  not  apply  to  me.  I  might  have  known 
at  that  time,  yes,  in  a  certain  sense  I  did  know,  that  my  way  of 
acting  was  wrong ;  and  yet  I  laid  more  weight  upon  the  promise 
given  to  the  lodge  than  upon  the  word  of  God.  I  think  I  am  too 
wicked  for  God  to  forgive  me. 

CTi.  It  seems  to  me  you  are  greatly  mistaken.  You  probably 
imagine  that  if  you  had  always  lived  virtuously,  and  had  acted 
differently  in  this  case  also,  then  God  could  forgive  all  those  errors 
that  may  yet  cling  to  your  otherwise  good  works ;  do  you  not? 

E.     Those  are  about  my  thoughts. 

Ch.  But  then  you  rely,  for  the  forgiveness  of  your  sins,  not 
upon  Christ's  blood  and  righteousness,  bufc  upon  your  own  merit. 
So  long  as  you  continue  in  the  belief  that  you  need  forgiveness 
merely  for  this  sin,  and  perhaps  a  few  other  faults,  but  not  for 
your  whole  life,  you  will  never  enjoy  peace.  We  must  learn  that 
all  our  own  righteousness,  all  our  best  works,  before  God  are  but 
as  filthy  and  polluted  rags,  something  which  condemns  us  before 
God,  because  everything,  even  the  greatest  virtues,  are  contami- 
nated and  defiled  by  the  sin  which  continually  besets  us  and 
cleaves  to  all  we  do.  We  must  cast  ourselves  entirely  into  the 
depths  of  mercy,  and  say  :  I  come,  Lord,  not  relying  upon  my 
own  righteousness,  but  upon  thy  great  compassion  ;  forgive  me, 
solely  for  Jesus1  sake,  all  my  sinS,  even  such  and  such  a  one. 
Only  pray  for  a  right  knowledge  of  your  sins,  and  for  saving 
faith  ;  make  diligent  use  of  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Sacra- 
ment, and  you  will  find  peace  also  in  regard  to  the  wrong  you 
have  done  the  poor  man. 

E.  I  would  like  to  show  the  man  a  kindness  now,  and  make 
Amends  for  my  error. 

Oh,    It  13  certainly  just  and  proper  to  make  restitution  to  our 


77 

neighbor,  as  far  as  possible.  It  is,  at  all  events,  in  accordance 
with  the  word  of  the  Lord,  in  Ezek.  33  :  14,  15.  But  I  must 
call  your  attention  to  a  dangerous  error,  which  easily  creeps  into 
the  minds  of  men.  We  too  readily  believe  that  by  making  what 
is  called  amends  of  the  wrong  done,  we  reconcile  God,  and  have 
made  restitution  for  our  sin  before  God,  or,  at  least,  have  made 
God  willing  to  forgive  us.  That  can  never  be  done.  We  cannot 
make  amends  for  any  sin  before  God,  nor  can  we  induce  him  to 
forgive  us ;  Christ  alone  can  do  that.  Love  to  our  neighbor  de- 
mands that  we  should  indemnify  him  for  the  injury  done  ;  and 
therefore  no  true  Christian  can  or  should  neglect  to  do  so.  How- 
ever, we  dare  not  imagine  that  we  have  thereby  canceled  the  sin 
and  need  no  further  forgiveness.  The  sin  having  been  committed, 
we  must  have  forgiveness,  and  seek  that  alone  in  the  blood  and 
wounds  of  Christ.  Do  you  know  where  the  man  lives  at  pres- 
ent? 

E.  I  only  know  the  State  to  which  he  moved.  Did  I  know 
his  address,  I  would  immediately  write  to  him.  But  perhaps 
I  can  ascertain  that,  as  I  have  a  brother  and  several  ac- 
quaintances residing  in  the  same  State.  I  will  write  to  them 
to-morrow. 

Ch.  Do  so ;  and  I  wish  you  may  find  him  and  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  showing  him  your  affection.  It  is  a  great  mercy  of  God, 
when  we,  by  his  word,  come  to  a  knowledge  of  oar  sins,  and  be- 
come sensible  of  the  wrong  we  have  done  our  neighbor.  Being 
conscious  of  it,  we  can  pray  for  grace  and  pardon,  which  naturally 
we  cannot  do  when  we  are  unconscious  of  it.  But  the  sins  we 
commit  against  God  are  much  greater  and  more  grievous  than 
those  we  commit  against  men.  God  is  the  highest  majesty ;  we 
are  indebted  to  him  for  all  that  we  have ;  therefore  the  sins  against 
him  are  much  greater  and  more  heinous.  Therefore  if  you,  by 
your  participation  therein,  have  continually  approved  of  the  false 


78 

doctrine  of  the  lodge ;  have  not  confessed  Christ ;  consequently 
have  denied  your  Lord,  his  word  and  the  faith,  this  sin  is  much 
greater  than  those  you  have  committed  against  men.  But  gener- 
ally we  are  very  slow  to  believe  that.  May  God,  in  his  grace, 
grant  us  his  holy  spirit,  that  we  may,  in  every  particular,  attain 
to  a  right  knowledge  ! 


SEVENTH    DIALOGUE. 


Then  said  Jesus  to  those  Jews  which  believed  in 
him,  If  ye  continue  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  my 
disciples  indeed.  John  8  :  31. 

Christian.  You  look  very  much  pleased  this  evening,  neigh- 
bor. I  have  been  expecting  another  visit  from  you  this  long  time. 
I  am  very  glad  that  you  have  come. 

Ernest.  G-od  be  praised,  I  am  indeed  very  much  pleased. 
The  very  next  day  after  our  last  conversation,  I  wrote  to  my 
brother  and  several  acquaintances  for  the  address  of  that  man, 
whom  I  shall  call  N.  I  received  it  shortly  afterward,  and  wrote 
him  a  long  letter,  in  which  I  communicated  to  him  that  I  had 
done  him  great  wrong  at  that  time  by  not  employing  him,  who 
needed  it  so  sadly,  but  another,  who  without  this  work  had  a  good 
support ;  that  I  had  acted  in  this  manner  because  the  latter 
belonged  to  the  lodge  and  he  did  not.  Certainly  no  law  could 
punish  me  for  so  doing,  but  I  had  sinned  against  charity.  I  also 
wrote,  that  at  that  time  I  had  not  clearly  known  that  it  was  sin ; 
but  had  soon  quieted  my  conscience  by  reminding  it  that,  upon 
joining  the  lodge,  I  had  promised  to  assist  and  aid  all  the  mem- 
bers ;  but  now,  through  the  grace  of  God,  I  had  come  to  a  better 
knowledge.  I  was  now  very  sorry  for  my  error,  and  begged  his 
forgiveness.  I  also  enclosed  a  check  for  fifty  dollars,  and  entreated 
him  to  accept  it  as  a  compensation  for  the  injury  done.  There- 


80 

Upon,  he  wrote  me  this  lengthy  and  beautiful  letter.  I  will  read 
it  for  you,  if  you  like. 

Ch.     Pray  do  so. 

E.  ESTEEMED  MR.  ERNEST:  —  The  grace  of  G-od  be  with 
you  !  Your  affectionate  letter  caused  me  to  give  grateful  thanks 
to  Grod.  When  I  contemplate  the  faithful  love  of  our  Shepherd, 
Jesus  Christ,  which  so  clearly  shines  forth  from  your  letter,  I 
could  not  refrain  from  tears.  To  Grod  be  praise  and  thanks,  that 
you,  through  his  grace,  have  been  brought  to  the  knowledge  that 
membership  in  the  lodge,  to  say  the  very  least,  is  a  very  danger- 
ous thing,  and  a  terrible  obstacle  to  the  Christian  in  the  narrow 
way  to  Heaven.  T  was  also  so  unfortunate,  at  one  time,  as  to  allow 
myself,  by  all  manner  of  deceptions,  particularly  by  promises  of 
valuable  worldly  advantages,  to  be  induced  to  join.  After  my 
application  for  acceptance,  I  could  not  sleep  for  several  nights, 
and  when  I  was  admitted,  I  suffered  truly  the  anguish  of  hell. 
They  seek,  indeed,  to  make  it  very  terrible  and  awe*-inspiring,  by 
means  of  darkness,  sudden  light,  frightful  pictures,  clattering,  and 
the  like.  My  fear,  however,  was  not  caused  by  this  hocus  pocus, 
but  by  my  conscience,  which  bitterly  reproached  me.  Not  one 
evening  did  I  sit  in  the  lodge  with  a  quiet  conscience.  I  knew 
that  quite  a  number  of  infidels  belonged  to  it ;  I  knew  also  that  it  is 
written  :  "  Be  ye  not  unequally  yoked  together  with  unbelievers; 
for  what  fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  unrighteousness?  and 
what  communion  hath  light  with  darkness  ?  And  ivhat  concord 
hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?  or  what  part  hath  he  that  believeth 
with  an  infidel  ?  Wherefore,  come  out  from  among  them,  and  be 
ye  separate,  saith  the  Lord  "  (2  Cor.  6  :  14-17).  The  conviction 
that  this  action  was  in  contradiction  to  the  word  of  God,  tormented 
me.  All  the  sorry  comiort  with  which  a  brother  tried  to  console 
me, — that  the  lodge  let  every  one  believe  what  he  pleased,  and 
had,  properly  speaking,  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  religion,  but  was 
merely  an  association  for  mutual  aid  and  alleviation  of  distress, — 


81 

could  not  help  me.  I  found  upon  almost  every  page  of  the  pub- 
lications and  books  of  the  lodge,  this  false  comfort  refuted,  partly 
in  a  direct  and  partly  in  an  indirect  manner ;  therefore  my  uneasi- 
ness remained.  But,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  was  soon  to  be 
brought  to  a  decision.  One  evening,  shortly  after  the  election  of 
a  new  chaplain,  he  closed  the  lodge  with  prayer  in  the  name  of 
Jesus,  entreating  God  to  answer  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ  his 
Son.  At  the  very  next  meeting,  several  members  made  complaint 
about  it.  The  matter  was  discussed.  I  endeavored  to  prove  from 
Scripture,  that  it  was  a  Christian's  duty  to  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus,  and  that  we  could  not  hope  to  be  heard  only  on  account  of 
the  redemption  of  GoJ's  Son.  But  what  answer,  dear  Mr.  Ernst, 
do  you  think  they  gave  me?  One  said  we  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  Christian  religion.  The  lodge  had  its  own  religion,  and  in 
accordance  with  this  we  pray  to  God.  The  lodge  had  nothing  at 
all  to  do  with  Jesus  Christ.  At  home,  every  one  could  pray  as 
he  pleased ;  but  here  in  the  lodge,  no  prayer  dare  or  could  ever 
be  offered  in  the  name  of  Jesus ;  it  was  also  forbidden  in  the 
Digest  (page  341).  Another  was  more  outspoken  yet.  He  de- 
clared that  he  could  not  conceive  how  it  was  possible  that  there 
were  still  people,  in  our  century,  who  believed  the  priests'  fraud 
that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God.  Least  of  all,  could  he  compre- 
hend that  members  of  the  lodge  still  did  so,  as  the  lodge  was  an 
educational  institution,  and  purposed  to  banish  all  superstition 
(meaning  faith  in  Christ).  Christ,  he  said  further,  was  a  man 
like  one  of  us ;  indeed  he  was  of  illegitimate  birth,  therefore  a 
bastard !  I  was  terrified  and  shocked  at  such  blasphemy.  My 
resolution  was  taken.  When  I  once  more  gained  the  floor,  I 
announced  my  withdrawal,  with  the  remark  that  the  outspoken 
infidelity  and  blasphemy  compelled  me,  as  a  Christian,  to  go  out 
from  such  a  society.  I  anticipated  the  hatred  of  most  of  the 
members,  aiid  it  has  richly  been  poured  out  upon  me.  They  tried 
to  deprive  me  of  my  employment  and  means  of  living,  or  to 


82 

diminish  them.  At  last  I  preferred  to  go  out  of  the  way  of  these  peo- 
ple, and  came  into  your  section  of  country.  Even  there,  God  would 
not  that  I  should  earn  my  bread  in  peace.  Again  I  pulled  up  my 
stakes,  and  came  hither.  Here,  through  the  grace  of  God,  I  have 
not  only  succeeded  in  earning  an  honest  livelihood,  but  something 
more  and  above.  I  already  own  a  fine  farm,  which  is  mostly  paid 
for.  God  be  praised,  everything  goes  well  with  me  here.  We 
Jiave  also  a  neat  church,  a  faithful  pastor,  and  the  word  of  God 
and  his  sacraments  pure  and  unadulterated,  as  well  as  a  good 
school  with  an  excellent  teacher  for  our  children.  That  lodge,  in 
which  I,  alas !  was  once  a  member,  resolved  that  prayer  should 
only  be  held  according  to  the  prescribed  form,  therefore  not  in 
the  name  of  Jesus.  I  was,  however,  not  the  only  one  who  left  at 
that  time.  The  Chaplain,  for  the  same  reason,  at  the  next  session 
announced  his  withdrawal. 

I  found  it  quite  natural  that,  at  that  time,  you  should  employ 
the  other  man  instead  of  me,  as  I,  from  my  own  experience,  knew 
the  lodge  and  its  aims.  I  heartily  forgave  you,  and  never  held  a 
grudge  against  you  on  that  account.  The  want  of  employment  at 
that  time,  if  I  look  at  it  right,  was  of  no  damage  to  me.  I  have 
experienced  the  truth  of  the  words  of  Scripture  :  "  It  is  good  for 
me  that  I  have  been  afflicted"  (Ps.  119  :  71).  I  have  also  expe- 
rienced that  in  the  old  proverb,  "Necessity  teaches  us  to  pray,?> 
a  profound  truth  is  concealed.  I  was  driven,  by  my  affliction,  to 
more  earnest  prayer  and  into  the  word  of  God,  and  in  this  way  it 
became  a  blessing  to  me. 

And  now,  in  regard  to  the  fifty  dollars  you  so  kindly  sent  me, 
I  think  it  would  be  a  sin  to  accept  pay  for  this  blessing  (for  indeed 
the  tribulation  proved  only  a  blessing  to  me).  If  you  are  agreed, 
I  will  double  the  sum  and  send  it  to  the  Theological  Seminary  ID 
N N .  Pray  let  me  know  your  opinion  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. 

Thanks  be  to  the  faithful  God,  who  has  granted  us  all  manner 


83 

of  heavenly  blessings,  through  Christ.  May  he  grant  further 
grace,  that  we  learn  to  know  his  word  aright  and  to  live  in 
accordance  with  it.  Wishing  you  the  blessing  of  God,  I  com- 
mend myself  to  your  love  and  remembrance  in  your  prayers. 

Yours,  0  N. 

Ch  This  letter  tunes  one's  heart  to  praise  and  gratitude,  and 
affords  us  another  evidence  of  the  great  love  of  God,  who  wills 
not  that  any  one  should  be  lost.  Did  he  not  go  after  this  N., 
and  gave  him  no  rest  in  the  communion  of  the  unbelievers,  until 
he  came  out  from  among  them  ?  Yes  ;  honor  and  praise  be  to 
God,  that  he  follows  and  seeks  us  in  our  wanderings,  as  a  shep- 
herd seeks  the  straying  lamb  !  Did  he  leave  us  to  ourselves,  we 
would  all  be  heirs  of  everlasting  perdition. 

E.  This  letter  occasions  me  great  joy.  He  has  forgiven  me  ; 
everything  goes  well  with  him.  He  will  not  accept  the  fifty  dol- 
lars, but  will  double  it  and  send  it  to  the  Theological  Seminary  in 
case  I  consent  to  it.  Well,  I  think  I  shall  give  my  entire  assent 
to  it.  What  do  you  think? 

Ch.  I  think  it  is  the  very  best  thing  you  can  do.  This  coun- 
try is  in  great  want  of  faithful  ministers  and  school  teachers. 
However,  such  institutions  can  only  be  sustained  by  the  loving 
care  of  the  congregations,  and  it  is  our  duty,  as  Dr.  Luther  so 
pressingly  admonishes  us,  to  do  all  in  our  power  that  the  word  of 
God  may  be  handed  down  pure  and  unadulterated  to  those  that 
come  after  us ;  therefore  it  is  not  only  laudable  and  right,  but 
also  our  sacred  obligation,  to  support  such  institutions. 

E.  N.,  too,  was,  then,  at  one  time  a  lodge  member,  and  went 
out  from  it.  I  was  not  aware  of  it  before.  I,  too,  have  been  for 
some  time  uneasy  about  my  membership.  I  do  not  exactly  know 
what  to  do.  Sometimes  I  think  it  is  not  right  to  remain  any 
longer  in  the  lodge ;  at  other  times  the  thought  arises  in  me : 
Should  you  remain,  you  might  help  to  change  some  things  for  the 
better.  Then  again  I  think :  You  should  withdraw ;  it  is  an  alh- 


84 

ance  of  unbelievers.  Sometimes  again  it  is  very  hard  for  me  to 
entertain  the  thought  of  leaving,  as  I  have  very  good  friends 
among  them.  At  other  times,  the  care  for  my  family  troubles  me, 
should  we  meet  with  misfortune  and  lose  a  great  deal,  or  perhaps 
everything  ;  and  if  I  should  die,  they  would,  of  course,  receive  no 
aid,  and  the  money  I  have  paid  in  for  so  many  years  would  be 
thrown  away. 

Ch.  That  you  have  such  scruples  and  are  inwardly  tossed 
from  one  side  to  the  other,  I  can  well  understand.  That  is  one 
of  the  struggles  between  the  flesh  and  the  Spirit,  between  sin  and 
righteousness,  between  the  old  and  the  new  man.  This  struggle 
is  allotted  to  us.  Blessed  are  we  if  the  Spirit  gains  the  victory 
(G-al.  5  :  16,  17,  22-24).  Should  you,  however,  really  believe, 
that  by  remaining  in  the  lodge,  you  would  be  able  to  change  some 
things  for  the  better,  you  would  be  greatly  mistaken.  A  society 
with  such  false  doctrine  and  erroneous  belief  can  never  more  be 
cured  by  remaining  in  it  and  meaning  to  testify  against  its  faults. 
Even  if  by  our  words  we  would  seemingly  effect  some  good,  we 
would  by  sinfully  remaining  in  it  do  ten  times  greater  harm. 
How  can  the  reproof  be  sincere,  or  how  should  others  be  able  to 
regard  it  seriously,  when  they  see  that  he  who  finds  fault  quietly 
remains  in  the  society  ?  No ;  if  there  be  any  means  by  which 
such  an  association  can  be  cured,  it  is  surely  only  by  withdrawing 
from  it,  with  a  clear  statement  of  its  false  doctrine,  and  then  to 
seek  by  word  and  deed  to  convince  other  souls  that  are  captivated 
by  it,  of  their  wrong.  However,  I  believe  it  is  not  necessary  to 
waste  many  words  about  it.  If  I  might  offer  my  advice,  it  would 
be  this :  Come  out  from  among  the  communion  of  unbelievers ; 
or,  Renounce  the  world,  cleave  to  Christ !  Yet  I  should  be  sorry 
were  you  to  take  this  step  on  account  of  human  persuasion.  Con- 
inue  faithfully  to  compare  the  doctrines  of  the  lodge  with  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  to  use  the  means  of  grace  diligently,  entreat  the 
Holy  Ghost  for  enlightenment,  and  then  you  will  speedily 


85 

to  a  decision.  Least  of  all  will  the  ties  of  friendship  or  the 
money  paid  in,  then  keep  you  back.  All  these  are  only  earthly 
and  perishable  goods.  I  think  we  will  meanwhile  commend  this 
matter  to  our  faithful  God  and  pray  that  he  may  direct  it  so  that 
it  may  redound  to  his  glory.  I  believe,  however,  it  would  be  well 
for  us  to  talk  about  some  other  matters. 

I  lately  read  in  the  Book  of  Concord  of  our  Lutheran  Church, 
where  it  speaks  in  the  Epitome  of  the  rule  and  standard  of  doc- 
trine and  faith:  "We  believe,  teach  and  confess,  that  the  only 
rule  and  standard,  according  to  which  all  doctrines  and  teachers 
alike  ought  to  be  tried  and  judged,  are  the  prophetic  and  apostolic 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  alone."  And  it  struck 
me  that  the  lodge  has  an  entirely  different  rule  and  standard  of 
doctrine  and  faith,  than  the  Church  of  God. 

E.     The  Book  of  Concord, — what  kind  of  book  is  that  ? 

Ch.  The  Book  of  Concord  contains  all  the  confessional  writ- 
ings of  our  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  namely,  the  three 
(Ecumenical  Confessions  of  Faith,  the  Augsburg  Confession,  with 
its  Apology,  the  Smalcald  Articles,  the  smaller  and  larger  Cate- 
chisms of  Luther,  and  the  Formula  of  Concord.  Every  Lutheran 
should  surely  have  and  diligently  read  it,  that  he  may  know  what 
his  church  believes,  teaohes  and  confesses,  according  to  the  Word 
of  God,  and  what  she,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  rejects  as  false 
doctrine.  Are  you  not  acquainted  with  the  book  ? 

E.  I  am  acquainted  with  the  Smaller  Catechism  and  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  but  I  do  not  know  the  other  writings. 

Oh.  If  you  wish  to  read  it,  I  will  gladly  lend  you  my  Book 
of  Concord,  but  it  is  better  that  you  should  purchase  one  for  your- 
self. 

E.  I  shall  do  so.  But  you  were  saying  that  the  lodge  has  an 
entirely  different  standard  of  doctrine  than  the  Church.  I  inter- 
rupted you.  Pray,  continue. 

(7A.     The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  confesses  the  Scriptures  of 


86 

tbe  Old  and  New  Testaments  to  be  the  only  rule  and  standard  of 
faith,  of  doctrine  and  of  life,  and  has  expressly  declared  so  in  her 
confessional  writings.  Does  the  lodge  do  the  same  ?  No ;  it 
has  an  entirely  different  rule  and  standard  of  faith,  doctrine  and 
life,  namely,  conscience ;  indeed  not  the  conscience  enlightened 
by  and  resting  in  the  word  of  God,  but  the  conscience  corrupted, 
perverted,  darkened  and  led  astray  by  sin.  For  so  we  read  in 
the  Manual,  p.  376  :  "  The  authority  of  conscience,  in  RELIGION, 
must  be  PARAMOUNT."  In  the  Pocket  Companion,  p.  127,  it 
says:  "  Conscience  should  be  permitted  always  to  govern  us,  and 
as  it  directs,  so  should  we  ever  act."  Here  it  is  clearly  and 
unmistakably  said,  that  the  lodge  does  not  recognize  the  Word  of 
God  as  superior  to  conscience.  It  does  not  give  the  Word  of  God 
the  first  place,  but  conscience  ;  does  not  allow  conscience  to  be 
corrected,  enlightened  and  quickened  by  God's  Word,  but  places 
the  Word  of  God  far,  far  beneath  conscience,  and  subjects  it  to 
its  reason  and  egotiom.  Thus,  whatever  the  Heathen's  conscience 
tells  him,  in  religious  matters,  that  is  right ;  what  his  conscience 
whispers  to  him  that  rejects  Christ,  is  also  right ;  but  what  the 
conscience  of  the  believing  Christian,  after  it  has  been  enlight- 
ened and  quickened  by  the  Word  of  God,  tells  him  concerning 
religion,  that  is  called  "  sectarianism."  And  why  is  all  that 
right  which  the  conscience  of  those  says  who  do  not  believe  in 
the  Bible  ?  Because  the  highest  authority  which  the  lodge  has, 
has  declared  it  to  be  so.  What  a  piece  of  blasphemous  folly  ! 
Truth,  in  religious  matters,  is  but  one.  Two  contradictory  doc- 
trines cannot  both  be  true.  What  a  confusion  of  doctrines  this 
would  make  !  Let  us  take,  for  example,  the  doctrine  concerning 
God.  The  Jew  declares  :  I  believe,  according  to  my  conscience, 
in  one  only  invisible  God,  but  not  in  a  triune  Being.  Here  the 
highest  authority  has  spoken.  Our  Indian  says :  I  believe,  accord- 
ing to  my  conscience,  in  the  Great  Spirit  and  in  evil  spirits.  Here 
the  highest  authority  has  spoken.  The  Chinese  declare,  pointing 


87 

to  a  small  idol :  This  is  my  household  God,  in  whom  I  believe, 
according  to  my  conscience.  Here  again  the  highest  authority 
has  spoken.  The  Fetish  worshiper  has  a  potsherd  hanging  on  the 
wall,  and  solemnly  affirms  :  According  to  my  conscience,  this  is 
my  God,  whom  I  adore.  Here  the  highest  authority  again  has 
spoken.  The  Mohammedan,  with  pious  mien,  says :  Allah,  accord- 
ing to  my  conscience,  is  my  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet. 
Again  the  highest  authority  has  spoken.  Finally,  the  unbeliever 
declares :  Nature  is  God,  and  there  is  none  other ;  that  is  my 
belief,  according  to  my  conscience  ;  he  is  a  fool  who  believes 
otherwise.  Here,  too,  the  highest  authority  has  spoken.  Now 
tell  me  which  of  all  these  contradictory  doctrines  is  right  ?  The 
highest  authority  has  spoken  in  regard  to  all.  As  they  contradict 
each  other  and  no  two  of  them  agree,  whom  shall  and  can  one 
believe  ?  Behold  !  the  only  truth  existing  becomes  a  twenty-fold 
truth,  continually  contradicting  itself.  Is  not  that  dreadful  ? 

E.  My  understanding  of  this  matter,  until  now,  has  been, 
that  the  conscience  of  each  individual  should  decide  in  regard  to 
his  religion. 

CJi.  This  is  probably  meant,  and  I  understand  it  so  ;  and  in 
this  way  we  get  a  truth  of  a  thousand  shades,  and  contradicting 
itself  in  a  thousandfold  manner.  There  is,  however,  but  one 
faith,  one  doctrine,  one  God  (Eph.  4  :  3-6).  But  the  reason  of 
it  is,  that  the  lodge  does  not  recognize  the  Word  of  God  to  be 
above  conscience,  but,  on  the  contrary,  elevates  conscience  far 
above  God's  word,  and  allows  this  conscience,  thus  sundered  from 
God's  word,  to  judge  and  decide  on  all  faith  and  doctrine.  Should 
the  lodge,  for  example,  say  :  The  Word  of  God  is  the  only  rule 
and  standard  of  faith,  doctrine  and  life ;  let  your  conscience  be 
ruled  and  quickened  thereby,  and  then  never  act  against  the  dic- 
tates of  your  conscience,  resting  in  Grod's  word, — it  would  do 
right.  Bub  that  it  will  not  do  ;  neither  can  it  do  so,  with  its 
mongrel  religion,  to  which  the  Jews,  Heathen  and  unbelievers 


88 

agree.  The  majesty  of  God  and  of  his  holy  word  is  terribly  dis- 
honored and  desecrated  in  this  way.  Sinful  and  ungodly  men  set 
their  perverted  conscience  in  place  of  God's  everlasting  word. 
What  do  you  now  think  of  this  absurd  principle  of  the  lodge, 
that  conscience,  unenlightened  by  the  Word  of  God,  should,  in 
religious  matters,  decide  all  things  ?  Do  you  consider  that  to  be 
right  ? 

E.  I  do  not  believe  that  it  is  correct,  and  must  say,  that  in 
its  application,  it  shakes  and  overthrows  every  real  truth.  I,  at 
least,  can  no  longer  consent  to  it. 

Ch.  Were  this  principle  correct,  then  it  was  unnecessary  for 
God  to  give  the  ten  commandments  and  send  the  prophets  and 
his  Word  ;  for,  if  conscience,  without  God's  word,  is  the  highest 
authority,  what  is  the  use  of  them  all  ?  The  sufferings  and  death 
of  Jesus  Christ,  whereby  he  redeemed  the  world  and  taught  the 
way  to  heaven,  would  then  be  just  as  useless  and  superfluous, 
because,  according  to  that  principle,  the  natural  conscience,  with- 
out God's  word,  teaches  men  the  right  way,  that  is,  the  way  to 
Heaven.  If  we  now  look  into  the  holy  Scriptures,  we  find,  that 
by  nature  we  know  nothing  of  God  and  divine  things,  as  we  ought 
to  know  in  order  to  be  saved.  In  1  Cor.  2  :  14,  it  is  said,  for 
example  :  "  But  the  natural  man  (that  is,  man  as  he  is  born  into 
the  world,  as  he  is  by  nature)  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
spirit  of  God  ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him  :  neither  can  he 
know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned. "  Here,  not 
only  all  true  knowledge,  all  right  understanding  of  spiritual  things, 
are  denied  to  the  natural  man,  but  also  the  power  to  seize  and 
comprehend  them,  even  when  they  are  communicated  to  him.  In 
Matt.  11  :  27,  the  Lord  Jesus  says  :  "  No  man  knoweth  the  Son, 
but  the  Father ;  neither  knoweth  any  man  the  Father,  save  the 
Son,  and  he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him."  Here  we 
see,  therefore,  that  we  can  in  no  wise  know  God  the  Father,  unless 
the  Son  does  reveal  him  to  us  in  the  Word-  And  when  Peter 


confesses,  "  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God," 
Christ  answers  :  "  Flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee, 
but  my  Father  which  is-  in  Heaven  "  (Matt.  16  :  16,  17).  Thus 
we  see,  that  of  ourselves,  we  are  unable  to  know  either  the  Father 
or  the  Son,  or  other  spiritual  things,  without  the  divine  revela- 
tion. God  must  give  us  the  knowledge  of  salvation  (Luke  1:77), 
by  giving  us  "the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  him  "  (Eph.  1  :  17).  As  little  as  we,  of  ourselves,  can 
know  God  by  our  conscience,  so  little  can  we,  by  our  conscience, 
learn  the  way  to  Heaven.  The  conscience  of  no  natural  man  has 
ever  taught  him  :  Repent  and  believe  in  the  Gospel.  There  have 
been,  for  example,  learned  men  among  the  Heathen,  particularly 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  every  one  of  them  possessed 
a  conscience ;  but  not  a  single  one  has  ever  taught :  Believe  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  you  shall  be  saved.  Indeed,  this  doc- 
trine which  the  lodge  has  established,  is  ruinous,  and  no  one  who 
follows  it  can  be  saved. 

E.  I  firmly  believe  that,  in  religious  matters,  we  can  only 
allow  the  sacred  Scriptures  to  be  the  rule  and  standard ;  otherwise 
we  fall  into  pernicious  confusion,  from  which  we  cannot  extricate 
ourselves.  Every  one  claims,  according  to  his  conscience,  to  have 
the  right  religion. 

Ch.  We  fall  not  only  into  wretched  confusion,  but,  what  is 
surely  still  worse,  we  cannot  be  saved,  as  conscience,  without  the 
word  of  God,  never  finds  the  right  way  of  repentance  and  faith. 
When,  however,  the  lodge  assigns  to  conscience  the  highest 
authority  in  affairs  of  religion,  it  means  to  apply  this  only  to  the 
lodge  members,  and  all  such  as  accept  its  false  doctrine ;  a  con- 
science that  in  matters  of  religion  differs  from  its  conscience,  it 
does  not  respect.  I,  for  example,  according  to  my  conscience, 
which  rests  in  God's  word,  can  only  warn  against  the  pernicious 
doctrines  of  the  lodge.  Thus  my  conscience  teaches  me,  because 
it  is  so  instructed  by  the  Word  of  God.  The  Pocket  Companion, 


90 

on  page  127,  says:  "Conscience  should  be  permitted  always  to 
govern  us;  and  as  it  directs,  so  should  we  ever  act."  Accord- 
ingly, we  should  think  the  lodge  would  respect  that,  and  say  : 
This  man  is,  no  doubt,  honest,  and  acts  according  to  his  con- 
science, according  to  his  highest  authority.  But  how  do  you 
think  the  lodge  treats  those  who  contradict  its  false  doctrines  ? 
It  abuses  them  in  the  most  vulgar  terms,  although  it  pretends  to 
be  very  respectable.  The  lodge  calls  me,  because,  for  conscience 
sake,  I  am  compelled  to  warn  against  its  false  doctrines,  on  page 
182  of  the  Pocket  Companion,  "base"  and  "unworthy."  It  pre- 
tends, therefore,  to  allow  liberty  of  conscience,  but  exercises  terri- 
ble tyranny  over  the  conscience.  Every  one  who  opposes  its  false 
doctrine,  and  must  do  so  for  conscience  sake,  is  abused  as  "base" 
and  "unworthy."  What  would  it  perhaps  do,  if  it  should  obtain 
the  exclusive  control  of  the  religion  of  States  ?  Undoubtedly  the 
time  of  bloody  persecution  would  return.  Yerily,  we  have  reason 
to  pray  also  in  regard  to  this  enemy  of  our  faith  :  "  Rise  up, 
Lord,  and  let  thine  enemies  be  scattered  "  (Numb.  10  :  35).  And  : 
"  Return,  we  beseech  thee,  0  God  of  Hosts :  look  down  from 
heaven,  and  behold,  and  visit  this  vine  ;  and  the  vineyard  which 
thy  right  hand  hath  planted,  and  the  branch  that  thou  madest 
strong  for  thyself"  (Ps.  80:14,  15).  Yes,  that  is  the  main 
object  of  the  lodge,  particularly  of  the  initiated  and  leading  per- 
sonalities, to  thrust  Jesus  Christ,  slyly  and  most  imperceptibly, 
from  his  throne,  that  is,  to  remove  him  from  the  hearts  and 
homes,  from  the  churches  and  schools. 


EIGHTH  DIALOGUE. 


That  Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith,  that 
ye  be  rooted  and  grounded  in  love.     Eph.  3  :  17. 

Ernest.  Since  our  last  conversation,  I  have  reflected  much 
upon  your  last  words.  You  said,  namely,  that  the  lodge  labored 
to  dislodge  Christ  from  his  throne,  to  remove  him  from  the  hearts 
and  homes,  churches  and  schools.  When  I  now  reflect  on  my 
experience  in  the  lodge ;  on  everything  that  was  spoken,  consid- 
ered, resolved  and  done,  I  must  confess  that  much  has  occurred 
which,  as  a  Christian,  one  cannot  approve  of.  But  where  is  there 
a  society,  of  any  size,  in  which  much  that  is  unchristian  does  not 
occur?  Is  it  not  the  case  even  with  Christian  congregations? 
But  I  must  say  that  I  have  never  witnessed  that  on  the  part  of 
the  lodge  it  was  ever  resolved  or  declared :  We  will  extinguish 
Christ  or  Christianity. 

Christian.  I  believe,  very  readily,  that  you  have  never  heard 
such  declarations  or  resolutions  of  the  lodge.  One  does  not  do  it 
so  bluntly.  It  would  be  very  fortunate  for  Christians,  especially 
for  such  as  are  weak  in  Christian  knowledge,  if  the  lodge  would 
speak  out  honestly  and  openly  and  declare  :  We  will  have  nothing 
to  do  with  Christ ;  we  will  go  *to  heaven  by  our  own  merits ;  we 
therefore  reject  the  doctrine  of  redemption  through  the  blood  and 
death  of  Christ,  the  doctrine  of  repentance  and  faith ;  indeed  it 
is  our  mission  to  abolish  Christianity  from  the  earth.  I  repeat,  it 


92 

would  be  very  fortunate  were  the  lodge  openly  to  come  out  with 
these  its  secret  projects.  Then  the  eyes  of  the  simple  would  be 
opened,  and  no  Christian  possessed  of  a  spark  of  Christianity 
would  join  the  lodge.  It  would  then  be  over  with  the  spread  of 
the  lodge  among  Christians;  and,  as  up  to  the  present  it  has  mani- 
fested no  inclination  to  propagate  its  peculiar  tenets  among  the 
wild'  Bushmen  of  Africa  and  the  Cannibals  of  New  Zealand,  their 
very  existence  would  be  at  stake.  The  leaders  are  well  aware  of 
this  fact,  and  therefore  never  express  themselves  openly  and  hon- 
estly. The  Devil,  this  seducer  from  the  beginning,  has  ever  acted 
in  the  same  way.  Do  you  believe  that  Adam  and  Eve  would  have 
ever  suffered  themselves  to  be  tempted  to  sin  by  the  Devil,  had  he 
come  out  openly  with  his  secret  designs  ?  If,  for  example,  the 
Devil  had  said  :  Here,  Eve,  eat  of  the  fruit  of  this  tree ;  it  tastes^ 
good,  but  your  eating  will  bring  upon  you  the  wrath  of  God,  all 
kinds  of  temporal  misery,  will  rob  you  of  the  peace  of  G-od ;  will 
deliver  you,  after  much  sickness  and  suffering,  unto  death,  and 
after  death  will  plunge  you  into  the  everlasting  torments  of  hell, — 
what  do  you  think,  would  Eve  have  eaten  of  the  fruit  ? 

E.     Most  assuredly  not. 

Ch.  About  as  much  success  would  the  lodge  have  among 
Christians,  if  it  came  out  openly  with  its  designs,  as  it  should, 
according  to  its  own  motto.  This  it  knows  very  well,  and  there- 
fore seeks,  in  a  very  subtle  manner,  to  extirpate  Christianity  ; 
and  behold,  it  is  only  too  frequently  successful  in  its  efforts.  The 
Devil,  by  means  of  cunning  lies  and  frauds,  also  succeeded  in 
seducing  our  first  parents,  and  succeeds  daily  in  leading  astray 
their  descendants. 

E.     How,  then,  do  you  think  the  lodge  goes  to  work  ? 

Oh.  Not  by  such  resolutions.  You  can  rummage  all  the 
writings  of  the  lodge,  and  will  scarcely  find  such  a  resolution.  I 
have  already  read  a  great  mass  of  publications  of  the  lodge  and 
of  its  members,  not  alone  those  which  you  brought  me,  but  many 


93 

Other  books  and  writings,  which  I  found  advertised  therein,  and 
have  sent  for,  but  have  never  found  such  a  resolution.  It  would 
indeed  be  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the  lodge.  It  works  in  a 
very  different  way.  It  assumes  a  Christian  appearance,  and  tries 
to  maintain  it.  It  deceives  the  Christians  whom  it  wishes  to  win 
for  the  lodge,  by  pretending  that  the  lodge  lays  great  stress  upon 
Christianity,  that  it  has  even  done  a  great  deal  to  uphold  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  the  Christian  religion,  as  it  so  frequently 
boasted  of  in  your  publications;  for  example,  Manual,  p.  130  ff., 
where  it  is  said  such  associations  were  "mighty  agents  in  preserv- 
ing and  perpetuating  a  knowledge  of  the  truth,  as  regards  both 
GOD  and  man."  As  further  proof  that  the  lodge  promotes  Chris- 
tianity, they  are  told  that  the  open  Bible  lies  always  upon  the 
table  (see  Proceedings  Grand  Lodge  of  Wisconsin,  1871,  p.  1533), 
that  the  Ten  Commandments  are  read  to  every  one  who  is  initiated  ; 
that  on  conferring  of  the  degrees,  at  funerals,  laying  of  corner- 
stones, dedication  of  lodges,  &c.,  &c.,  portions  of  the  Bible  are 
read  and  applied ;  that  the  lodge  is  opened  and  closed  with  prayer ; 
further,  that  it  is  precisely  the  lodge  which  performs  good  Chris- 
tian works,  which  the  congregations  ought  to  do,  but  neglected, 
namely,  to  assist  the  widows  and  orphans,  to  visit  and  relieve  the 
sick,  and  to  bury  the  dead.  And  probably  it  is  reiterated  a  hun- 
dred times,  as,  for  example,  in  Heart  and  Hand  of  July  22,  1871, 
p.  119,  that  in  their  secrets  and  their  whole  nature  there  is  noth- 
ing contradictory  to  our  duties  toward  God,  our  neighbor  and 
ourselves.  And  just  under  this  pious  pretext,  the  lodge  labors, 
with  all  its  might,  to  extirpate  Christianity.  And  that  — 

E.     But  how  does  it  set  about  it,  then  ? 

Ch.  Well,  in  the  first  place,  tell  me  in  what  consists  true 
Christianity. 

E.  I  could  not,  perhaps,  better  express  it  in  a  few  words, 
than  by  saying  :  In  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  in  love  to  him  and 
childlike  obedience. 


94 

Oh.  Therefore  the  sum  and  substance  of  Christianity  is  Jesus 
Christ,  is  he  not  ? 

E.  ^Certainly.  The  very  name  "  Christian  "  designates  one 
who  believes  in,  loves  and  follows  Jesus. 

Ch.  Very  well.  Now,  nothing  less  than  this  center  of  all 
Christianity,  the  lodge  attempts  to  do  away  with,  in  making 
Jesus  Christ  entirely  superfluous  to  the  members  of  the  lodge. 
On  every  page  of  the  writings  of  the  lodge,  we  read  that  man,  in 
himself,  has  the  ability  to  make  himself  a  moral  man  and  a  citizen 
and  heir  of  heaven.  The  lodge  declares  "the  most  important 
uses  and  aims  of  Oddfellow  ship  to  be,  the  imbuing  of  the  minds 
of  our  brethren  with  proper  conceptions  of  their  powers  and 
capacities"  (Man.  p.  112  ff.) ;  "to  imbue  him  with  conceptions 
of  his  capability  for  good  "  (Man.  p.  47  ff.) ;  that  a  "true  Odd 
Fellow  "  belongs  "to  the  highest  style  of  man"  (p.  269),  and  that 
such  live  "with  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God  and 
man,"  and  "  their  departure  from  earth  is  but  a  translation  to  a 
blissful  immortality"  (p.  157),  in  order  to  rest  "in  that  angel 
land"  (Pocket  Coinp.  p.  182).  Now  tell  me,  has  he  who  believes 
this,  still  any  need  of  Jesus  ? 

E.  I  cannot  see  why  such  should  have  any  need  of  Jesus^as 
heir  Savior, 

Ch.  It  is  certain,  first  and  above  all  things,  we  need  the  Lord 
Jesus  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  as  his  blood  alone  cleanses  us 
from  sin  (1  John  1:7).  But  all  those  who  believe  what  the 
lodge  teaches,  have  no  need  of  Christ  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins ; 
for  they  do  not  know  that  they  are  poor  sinners,  worthy  of  con- 
demnation, but  do  all  they  can  to  prevent  the  knowledge  of  sin, 
to  stifle  the  convictions  of  sin,  and  even  profess  that  they  live 
"  with  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God  and  man/'  while  the 
Scriptures  say  (Rom.  3  :  23) :  "  For  all  have  sinned/'  and  are  all, 
"  by  nature,  the  children  of  wrath  "  (Eph.  2  :  3),  and  :  "  There 
is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one"  (Rom.  3  :  12^).  Is  it  not 


95 

horrible  to  read  such  derision  of  the  sacred  word  of  God  ?  If  we, 
for  example,  consider  the  first  commandment,  in  which,  among 
other  things,  it  is  said  that  we  should  love  God  above  all  things, 
and  examine  ourselves  whether  we  really  do  so,  we  certainly  are 
constrained,  with  Dr.  Luther,  to  say,  that  we  transgress  this  com- 
mandment every  hour  and  minute,  because  we  never  love  God  as 
we  ought  to  love  him.  Our  conscience  is  therefore  not  free  from 
offence  toward  God,  according  to  this  one  commandment.  In 
spite  of  this,  -the  lodge  asserts  the  contrary,  and  declares  :  Our 
conscience  is  void  of  offence  toward  God.  Unto  every  one,  then, 
who  believes  this  assertion,  the  Lord  Jesus  is  the  most  superflu- 
ous object  in  the  world.  Behold,  this  is  the  way  the  lodge  works 
to  remove  the  Lord  Jesus  from  the  hearts  of  its  members.  Let 
us  suppose  the  case,  that  such  an  Odd  Fellow  is  the  father  of  a 
family ;  will  he  be  likely  to  lead  his  children  to  Jesus,  the  Savior 
of  sinners  ?  Will  he  teach  his  dear  little  ones  to  sing  : 

"  Jesus'  blood  and  righteousness, 
That  is  my  ornament  and  dress 
With  this  before  God's  throne  I'll  stand 
When  I  go  to  the  better  land  "  ? 

Will  he  endeavor  to  awaken  faith  in  Christ,  and  instill  love  to  him 
in  the  hearts  of  his  children?  Certainly  not.  And  if  the  mother 
still  has  faith  in  Christ,  and  directs  her  children  to  him,  he  will, 
to  say  the  least,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulder,  smile  at  her  stu- 
pidity, and  in  some  way  manage  that  the  tares  of  his  unbelief  do 
not  allow  the  good  seed  to  spring  up  in  the  children's  hearts. 
See !  this  is  the  way  the  Lord  Jesus  is  driven  away  from  the 
homes.  The  next  consequence  is,  that  he  is  also  removed  from 
the  schools  and  churches,  wherever  the  influence  of  the  lodge 
extends  so  far.  That  you  do  not  teach  the  Lord  Jesus  in  your 
orphan  schools,  you  have  already  confessed.  Therefore  you  have 
fortunately  (?)  banished  the  Lord  Jesus  from  your  schools.  And 
when  the  true  Odd  Fellows  gain  the  upper  hand  in  a  congre- 


96 

gation,  they  soon  banish  him  also  from  the  church ;  that  is,  they 
will  not  suffer  that  repentance  and  conversion,  faith  and  reconcilia- 
tion through  the  blood  of  Jesus,  be  preached.  You  can  find  many 
such  congregations  in  this  country.  This  false  doctrine  of  self- 
righteousness  is  the  explanation  of  the  fact  that  we  so  very  seldom 
find  a  Free  Mason  (whose  doctrines  are  the  same  as  yours)  or  an 
Odd  Fellow  who  really  loves  the  preaching  of  the  pure  gospel, — 
baptism,  absolution  and  the  Lord's  supper.  It  is  true,  we  find, 
here  and  there,  .members  of  secret  societies  who  contribute  largely 
towards  building  churches,  or  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  con- 
gregation ;  but,  that  this  is  not  done  from  love  to  Christ,  they 
prove  by  their  generally  despising  the  means  of  grace.  Nor  can 
it  be  otherwise.  If  I  am  a  "  true  Odd  Fellow,"  and  believe  that 
I  can  help  myself,  and  by  my  own  virtues  merit  Heaven,  I  do  not 
need  the  assistance  of  Christ  and  the  means  of  gr^ace.  I  cannot 
possibly  still  find  pleasure  in  the  preaching  of  repentance  and  faith. 
It  must  be  disgusting  to  me,  to  hear  from  the  pulpit  that  I  am  a 
poor  sinner ;  intolerable,  that  I  should  be  called  upon  to  repent ; 
my  heart  must  revolt  when  I  hear  that  through  pure  grace  I  must 
be  saved,  and  that  all  my  good  works  can  help  me  nothing  in  get- 
ting to  Heaven.  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  that  the  majority  of  the 
lodge  members  maintain,  or  sooner  or  later  will  maintain  such  a 
position.  From  the  seed  which  is  sown  in  the  lodge  and  all  its 
publications,  no  other  fruit -can  grow. 

E.     Do  you  believe  that  all  think  so  ? 

Ch.  I  hope  not ;  be  it  far  from  me  to  assert  that.  On  the 
contrary,  I  believe  that  there  are  many  in  the  lodge  who  do  not 
know  or  are  aware  what  a  terrible  association  they  have  joined, 
who  know  themselves  to  be  miserable  sinners,  who  believe  in  Christ 
and  hope  to  be  saved  through  him.  I  am  only  speaking  of  what 
the  fruit  of  such  sowing  is  and  must  be  when  it  springs  up,  and 
what  general  experience  teaches.  I  also  believe,  most  assuredly, 
that  you,  since  joining  the  lodge,  have  often  enough  experienced, 


97 

that  this  sowing  of  false  doctrine  has  brought  forth  the  sad  fruit 
of  disinclination  to  and  inward  estrangement  from  the  word  of 
God,  in  most  members. 

E.  Certainly  that  is  a  fact,  as  I  well  know,  confirmed  by  ex- 
perience. I  only  wanted  to  hear  if  you  made  no  exceptions.  But, 
as  you  do,  I  can  make  no  objections  to  what  you  say. 

Oh.  Yea,  God  be  praised  that  there  are  still  exceptions.  It 
is  his  great  mercy  that  many  (as  I  hope)  have  a  better  faith  than 
the  lodge  teaches.  That  is  certainly  no  merit  of  the  lodge,  but 
the  great  compassion  of  God.  Such,  however,  stand  in  great 
danger  of  soon  losing  their  faith  entirely  ;  for  such  a  communion 
with  unbelievers  has  always  a  very  injurious  influence.  They 
make  themselves,  continually,  "  partakers  of  other  men's  sins," 
and  transgress  God's  express  commandment  (2  Cor.  14  :  17). 
May  God,  in  his  mercy,  have  compassion  on  these  deceived  and 
blinded  souls,  who  are  thus  led  astray,  and  open  their  eyes  before 
it  is  too  late. 

While  I  think  of  it,  let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  publica- 
tions of  the  order  and  their  anti-christian  tone.  Should  I  indeed 
mention  all  the  anti-christian  sentiments  contained  therein,  I 
should  really  not  know  where  to  end.  But  only  a  few.  The  Grand 
Representative,  F.  S.  Ostheim,  who  represented  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Oregon  in  the  Convention  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United 
States,  held  in  Baltimore  in  September,  1870,  and  who  soon  after 
went  to  Germany,  wrote,  on  the  20th  of  April,  a  long  letter,  which 
is  printed  in  your  paper,  "  The  Odd  Fellow,"  in  the  June  number 
of  1871,  p.  369.  In  this  letter,  Mr.  F.  S.  Ostheim  states  that  the 
order  had  been  introduced  into  Germany,  and  writes,  among  other 
things:  "  Whether  Jew,  Turk  or  Christian,  is  immaterial  to  the 
irrefutable  laws  of  nature,  which  are  based  upon  reason,  just  as  in 
general  such  like  human  institutions,  however  beneficial  their  influ- 
ence may  prove,  are  frequently  only  calculated  to  enchain  the  world 
in  the  shackles  of  error  and  prejudice.  A  universal  brotherhood, 


98 

on  the  contrary,  presupposes  that  harmony,  which  we  perceive 
everywhere  in  the  works  of  a  latent  power  which  we  call  God. 
The  same  (the  brotherhood  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  namely,  the 
Author)  is  therefore  divine,  is  a  divine  institution,  which  bids 
defiance  to  the  intrigues  of  earthly  decrees.  The  accord  of  this 
harmony  finds  its  best  expression  in  our  hearts.  If  the  heart 
beats  only  for  what  is  good  and  noble,  it  needs  no  other  religion 
than  that  which  it  dictates  to  itself.  It  is  our  order  which  chiefly 
promotes  these  cosmopolitan  principles,  and  therefore  its  propaga- 
tion in  all  civilized  countries  may  of  right  be  considered  as  of  so 
much  greater  importance."  From  these  words  we  see:  1st,  that 
with  Mr.  Ostheiin  tho  religion  of  a  Jew  or  Turk  passes  for  at  least 
as  much,  if  not  more,  than  that  of  a  Christian ;  2d,  that  he  calls 
the  Christian  church,  with  her  confession,  "  a  human  institution"  ; 
therefore  does  not  recognize  Jesus  Christ,  the  true  God,  to  have 
founded  the  Christian  church;  indeed,  he  holds  the  church,  with 
her  doctrines  and  faith,  without  expressing  it  in  as  many  words, 
to  be  an  institution  for  spreading  ignorance,  calculated  "to  bind 
the  world  in  tlio  shackles  of  error  and  prejudice"  ;  3d,  that  he 
acknowledges  no  personal  God  who  possesses  a  self-existent  being 
and  free  motion,  but  only  a  "latent  (that  is,  concealed,  secret) 
power, "  which  he  calls  God.  Perhaps  Mr.  Ostheiin  imagines  this 
secret  power,  which  ho  calls  God,  to  be  similar  to  the  power  of  the 
magnet,  which  is  also  secret ;  we  do  not  see  or  hear  it,  but  only 
recognize  its  existence  by  the  effect,  when,  namely,  a  piece  of  iron 
is  brought  near  it.  As,  therefore,  the  power  of  the  magnet  is  in 
man's  control,  that  is,  he  can  allow  it  to  work  or  not,  so,  it  would 
seem,  Mr.  0.  represents  to  himself  tho  imaginary  God ;  that  it 
therefore  lies  in  his  power  to  allow  his  God  to  work,  and  to  inter- 
fere when  he  pleases  and  to  prevent  it  when  he  pleases.  A  fine 
God  that  !  4th,  we  see  that  Mr.  0.  teaches,  no  man  needs  any 
other  religion  than  what  his  own  heart  dictates  to  him,  when  it 
only  "beats  for  what  is  good  and  noble."  Does  Mr.  0.  recognize 


90 

the  sacred  Scriptures  as  the  rule  and  standard  of  his  religion? 
By  no  means !      His  own  heart,  which,  like  every  one's  heart,  is 
corrupt,  perverted,  and  obscured  by  sin,  is  to  him  the  sole  rule 
and  standard  of  his  religion;    what  that  "dictates7'  to  him  is 
perfectly  sufficient,  and  certainly,  according  to  his  opinion,  is  also 
the  best.     Mr.  O.  has  therefore  the  same  religion  which  every 
Heathen,  Jew,  Turk,  unbeliever  and  scorner  of  God  has.     Finally, 
5th,  we  learn  therefrom  what  the  lodge  really  aims  at.     Mr..  0. 
writes  :    "  It  is  our  order  which  chiefly  promotes  these  cosmopoli-  • 
tan  principles  (the  maxims  of  universal  religion),  and  therefore  its  ; 
propagation  in  all  civilized  countries  may  of  right  be  considered 
as  of  so  much  greater  importance."     Therefore  the  order,  particu- 
larly its  leaders,  like   this  "  Grand   Representative,"  are  clearly 
conscious  that  by  their  "  principles "  the  religion  of  their  own' 
heart,  which  suits  Heathen,  Jews,  Turks  and  all  unbelievers,  will 
mostly  be  extended,  and  true  Christianity  thereby  be  exterminated;  ' 
For  this  reason,  they  labor  with  all  zeal  to  lead  souls  astray  not 
only  in  this  country,  but  also  in  other  countries,  and  for  this  pur- 
pose the  order  has  been  transplanted  to  Germany.     In  the  Manual,  ^ 
pp.  110,  441,  and  in  -The  Odd  Fellow"  for  May,  1871,  p.  310, 
it  is  said  that  the  pecuniary  benefits  are  «'  scarcely  a  tithe"  of  the 
44  aims  and  objects"  of  the  lodge,   indeed   that   they  are  only 
4 'means  to  the  end."     What  are,  then,  the  other  nine-tenths  of 
their  "aims  and  objects"?      The  above  mentioned  number  of 
"  The  Odd  Fellow,"  page  10,  answers  this  question  thus  :    "  It  is 
the  great  aim  of  the  brotherhood  of  the  Odd  Fellows  ...  to  give 
their  adherents  a  correct  understanding  of  the  relation  between 
God  and  man."     That  means,  in  plain  language,  something  like 
this:   We  will  extend  our  religion,  which  "our  own  heart  dic- 
tates," among  our  members  and  as  much  farther  as  we  possibly 
can,  and  we  will  extirpate  the  Christian  religion,  with  its  Christ, 
in  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  do  so.     We  will  not  have  the  God  of 
the  Bible ;   we  have  made  one  according  to  our  imagination,  and 


100 

we  will  not  allow  the  Bible  to  define  *our  relation  tp  hup. ;  no,  w6 
will  do  that  ourselves,  according  to  the  pleasure  of  our  own 
hearts. 

E.  Well,  God  be  praised  that  Mr.  Ostheim's  religion  is  not 
mine. 

Ch.  What  do  the  papers  of  the  order  say,  now,  to  this  doc- 
trine of  Mr.  0.,  which  he  plainly  enough  represents  to  be  the 
doctrine  of  the  order  ?  Is  there  in  all  your  papers,  numbering 
about  twelve,  only  one  dissenting  voice  to  be  heard,  which  says : 
"  No,  that  is  not  our  doctrine "1  Not  a  single  one  is  to  be  heard. 
Nay,  still  more.  This  Mr.  Ostheim,  who  has  so  decidedly  spoken 
as  an  infidel ;  who  declares  that  he  does  not  believe  in  a  personal 
God,  and  recognizes  no  biblical  doctrine,  but  only  that  of  his  own 
heart ; — this  infidel  is  highly  extolled  in  your  papers.  The  editor 
of  your  paper,  "  Heart  and  Hand,"  introduces  him,  for  example, 
jn  the  number  of  July  loth,  1871,  page  109,  as  his  personal  friend 
and  brother,  and  calls  the  heart,  which  had  made  this  confession 
of  unbelief,  a  "  noble"  one.  And,  as  it  was  Mr.  0.  who  first 
proposed  the  introduction  of  the  order  into  Germany,  and  pressed 
it  with  all  ardor,  there  is  no  end  to  his  praise.  Truly,  whoever 
knows  nothing  of  the  lodge  except  this  confession  of  Mr.  0., 
knows  what  it  is  and  what  are  its  designs. 

Among  the  people,  it  is  commonly  believed  that  the  Free  Ma- 
sons and  Odd  Fellows  have  a  covenant  with  the  devil.  If  by  this 
is  meant  that  they  have,  in  a  certain  form,  given  themselves  over 
and  bound  themselves  by  a  written  document  to  the  devil,  it  is 
erroneous ;  but  if  thereby  is  meant,  that  by  the  false  doctrine 
which  they  adopt,  the  devil  gradually  acquires  more  and  more 
power  over  them,  blinds  them  more  and  more,  and  leads  them 
away  from  the  path  to  Heaven,  so  that  at  length  he  gets  them 
entirely  in  his  power,  unless  God  takes  compassion  upon  them,  it 
is  entirely  correct.  This  belief  of  the  people  contains  a  profound 
truth.  In  reality,  it  matters  very  little,  whether  I  give  myself  up 


101 

ut  Once  to  the  devil,  or  whether,  by  apostacy  from  Christ,  I  gradu- 
ally give  him  more  and  more  room,  so  that  in  the  end  I  become 
his  own.  In  either  case,  I  am  in  his  power  and  am  his  captive 
(2  Tim.  2  :  26).  This  sowing  of  false  doctrine  must  produce  evil 
fruit.  Not  only  that  thereby  all  true  faith,  all  love  to  God  and 
his  word  are  torn  from  the  heart,  but  heathenism,  similar  to  that 
in  New  Zealand,  eren  if  in  a  more  polished  form,  must  gradually 
grow.  The  pernicious  consequences  of  such  doctrines  in  social 
life  must  more  and  more  come  to  light,  and  gradually  undermine 
all  truth  and  faith,  all  real  morality.  I  will  adduce  but  one  exam- 
ple to  show  in  how  far  that  already  manifests  itself.  In  the 
"Odd  Fellow"  of  October,  1870,  page  626,  the  decisions  granted 
by  the  Grand  Sire,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  are  given.  The 
Grand  Sire  is,  namely,  the  highest  authority  of  the  order,  and 
has  to  decide  on  all  questions,  in  the  course  of  the  year,  and  the 
annual  assembly  of  the  Grand  Lodge  must  approve  of  or  reject 
these  decisions.  Among  others,  in  the  course  of  the  year  1869- 
1870,  the  following  question  was  submitted  to  him  :  "  When  a 
brother  renounces  Odd  Fellowship,  whether  the  lodge  can  regard 
it,  as  a  resignation  from  the  order ;  if  not,  to  what  extent  does  it 
affect  his  membership?  Answer  in  the  negative,  and  that  such 
so-called  renunciation  *  of  the  order  has  no  effect  whatever  upon 
his  membership  or  standing  in  the  lodge?"*  The  Grand  Sire, 
therefore,  permits  the  members  of  the  lodge,  when  it  seems  ad- 
vantageous to  them,  readily  to  swear  they  are  not  Odd  Fellows, 
and  by  this  decision  protects  them,  so  that  the  lodge  to  which 
they  belong  cannot  and  dare  not  punish  them,  by  declaring  that 
"such  so-called  renunciation  of  the  order  has  no  effect  whatever 
upon  their  membership  or  standing  in  the  lodge. "  He  thereby  not 


*  The  "  Odd  Fellow,"  a  German  paper  for  Odd  Fellows,  published  by 
M.  C.  Lilley  &  Co.,  Columbus  Ohio,  uses  the  word  a  Abschwoerung "  — 
abjuration. 


lu-2 

only  approves  of  perjury,  but  also  takes  the  perjurer  under  hit 
protection.  And  what  has  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States 
done  in  regard  to  this  decision  ?  Did  it  reject  it  as  ungodly,  a& 
approving,  protecting  and  promoting  the  sin  of  perjury  ?  By  no 
means  I  It  approved  of  this  decision,  as  you  can  read  in  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  1870,  page  4716, 
and  on  page  697  of  the  "  Odd  Fellow  "  of  November,  1870.  The 
entire  lodge  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  from  the  smallest  to  the  greatest, 
approve  hereby  of  perjury.  Every  Odd  Fellow  may  now,  once  or 
ten  times,  swear  that  he  is  no  Odd  Fellow  and  does  not  belong  to 
the  lodge,  and  what  lodge  can  exclude  him  on  account  of  this  per- 
jury ?  Not  a  single  one  !  Indeed  no  lodge  dare  undertake  to 
punish  him  or  to  make  remonstrances  against  this  terrible  sin, 
because,  as  is  expressly  said,  this  ''has  no  effect  whatever  upon 
his  membership  or  standing  in  the  lodge."  The  lodge  considers 
perjury  as  a  trifle,  for  which  no  member  dare  be  brought  to 
account.  Can  one,  after  all  this,  believe  an  Odd  Fellow,  even 
under  oath  ?  It  is  impossible  for  me  to  do  so ;  for  whosoever 
knowingly  and  willingly  perjures  himself  in  one  thing,  why  should 
he  not  always  swear  falsely,  when  his  heart,  which  naturally  "  beats 
only  for  what  is  good  and  noble,  dictates,"  or  when  it  seems  to  him 
to  his  purpose?  A  fine  specimen  of  the  much  lauded  "morals" 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  ! 

E.     Is  that  really  said  there  ? 

Ch.  Here,  read  it  for  yourself,  and,  that  you  may  not  think 
the  paper  gives  a  false  account,  see  here,  in  your  Digest  the  same 
is  said  twice,  on  pages  263  and  368.* 


*  This  decision  of  the  "Grand  Sire"  and  its  approval  can  be  read  in 
all  the  reports  of  the  State  Grand  Lodges  and  Grand  Encampments,  at  their 
first  sessions  after  the  above  mentioned  Contention  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  United  States,  which  therefore  were  held  in  the  fall  of  1870  or  in  the 
following  year ;  for  example,  Annual  Communication  of  the  R.  W.  Grand 


103 

E.  I  could  not  have  believed  that  to  be  possible !  There  it 
really  stands,  and  is  really  so.  I  read  the  report  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  United  States  at  that  time,  but  this  did  not  at  all 
occur  to  me ;  neither  did  I  attach  any  particular  importance  to  it. 
But  I  must  say.  that  I  most  positively  disapprove  of  and  reject 
such  a  decision,  and  can  now  and  never  more  give  my  consent 
to  it. 

Ch.  Well,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  will  give 
itself  very  little  concern  about  that.  When  400,000  Odd  Fellows 
approve  of  this  decision  and  one,  or,  for  all  I  care,  a  whole  half 
dozen  do  not  agree  to  it,  that  would  hinder  or  retard  it  just  as 
little  as  a  small  grain  of  sand  could  stop  a  wagon.  It  has  resolved 
so,  and  will  uphold  its  resolution  so  long  as  it  seems  to  be  politic 
It  has,  however,  hereby  again  put  on  record  that  it  does  not 
acknowledge  the  Word  of  God,  which  pronounces  heavy  punish- 
ment on  perjury,  and  that  Mr.  Ostheim  is  correct  when  he  says 
that  the  lodge  only  accepts  the  religion  which  its  own  heart  dic- 
tates. This  standard  of  its  religion,  namely,  its  own  heart,  has 
"dictated"  this;  its  "highest  authority/'  its  conscience,  approves 
it,  "instructs  it  so";  therefore  it  is  right.  Indeed,  one  would 
think  that  whoever  had  a  spark  of  Christianity  left  in  him,  must 
be  convinced  by  such  facts,  that  the  lodge  not  only  has  nothing 
of  God's  word,  but  is  thoroughly  anti-christian.  The  devil,  how- 
ever, holds  his  captives  fast  and  blinds  them  more  and  more,  that 
with  seeing  eyes  they  do  not  see.  and  with  hearing  ears  they  do 
not  hear.  This  decision  was  laid  before  all  the  State  Grand 
Lodges,  all  the  publishers  of  your  papers  are  acquainted  with  it. 


Lodge  I.  O,O,  F.  of  Iowa,  October,  1870,  p,  242  ;  Ann.  Communication  of 
the  Grand  Encampment  of  the  same  month  and  year,  p.  85  ;  Proceedings 
of  the  E.  W,  Grand  Lodge  of  Wisconsin,  1871,  £.  '1526  ;  of  the  Grand 
Encampment,  1871,  p,  205  :  Minutes  of  the  K.  W,  Grand  Encampment  of 
Pennsylvania,  from  June,  1870,  to  May,  1871,  p.  16. 


104 

Have  you  ever  heard  that  even  one  State  Grand  Lodge  or  one 
paper  had  opposed  it  ? 

E.     No,  I  have  not. 

CJi.  Just  as  little  have  I,  And  this  more  than  sufficiently 
proves,  that  they  all  acknowledge  this  decision,  all  approve  of  and 
protect  perjury.  "  Lo,  they  have  rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
and  what  wisdom  is  in  them?''  (Jer.  8  :  9).  That,  however,  in 
spite  of  such  facts,  almost  every  eye  of  the  400,000  Odd  Fellows 
remains  closed,  proves  again  that  rnan,  by  nature,  is  entirely  dark- 
ened, and  cannot  come  to  the  true  knowledge  without  the  enlight- 
ening of  God  the  Holy  Spirit.  But  how  shall  the  poor  member  of 
the  lodge  come  to  knowledge,  seeing  that  the  lodge  seeks  xo  remove 
them  as  far  as  possible  from  the  Word  of  God  and  Godv&  word  from 
them  ?  May  God  have  compassion  ! 


NINTH    DIALOGUE. 


I  am  crucified  with  Christ ;  nevertheless  I  live : 
yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me  :  and  the  life 
which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith 
of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  him- 
self forme.  Gal.  2:20. 


Christian.  Neighbor,  you  have  not  shown  yourself  for  a  long 
while.  What  does  that  mean  ?  Surely  you  are  not  angry  with 
me  ? 

Ernest.  No,  God  be  praised,  I  am  not  angry  with  you,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  owe  you  many  thanks.  I  have  had  a  hard  time 
to  go  through. 

Ch.     In  what  respect  ? 

E.  After  we  had  conversed  together,  for  several  evenings, 
about  the  lodge,  it  gradually  became  clear  to  my  mind,  that  what 
the  lodge  tenches  is  not  in  unison  with  the  sacred  Scriptures.  It 
lasted,  however,  a  good  while  before  I  could  bring  myself  to  con- 
fess it  to  you.  The  words  of  God  in  Galatians  6  :  10,  particularly, 
threw  light  on  the  subject,  as  well  as  the  approval  of  the  terrible 
perjury  of  which  we  spoke  last  time.  I  however  always  sought 
to  strengthen  myself  in  the  opinion  that  it  was  not  necessary  for 
me  to  separate  from  the  lodge,  because,  I  said  to  myself,  that  by 
my  remaining  in  it  I  could  perhaps  change  some  things  for  the 
better.  I  also  made  some  slight  attempts  to  do  so,  but,  upon  the 
whole,  have  had  the  same  experience  that  N.  writes  that  he  did, 


106 

although  in*  a  somewhat  milder  form.  I  gradually  gained  a  clearer 
knowledge  of  the  subject,  and  learned  to  understand  that  the  sins 
of  false  doctrine,  the  denial  of  Christ  and  of  salvation  through 
grace  alone,  are  much  worse  than  those  committed  against  men. 
I  have  been  especially  benefited  by  the  sermons  which  our  minis- 
ter preached  a  short  time  ago,  on  Romans  3  and  4,  wherein  he  so 
clearly  and  plainly  proved  from  the  Scriptures,  that  we  can  only 
be  saved  by  grace  through  the  merit  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  I  think 
everybody  must  say  yea  and  amen  to  it.  Then  my  conscience 
began  to  reproach  me  on  account  of  my  connection  with  the  lodge, 
as  an  alliance  of  unbelief,  and  because  it  teaches  contrary  to  the 
word  of  Grod  and  professed  infidels  belong  to  it,  with  whom  Chris- 
tians, according  to  God's  word,  should  have  no  **  communion." 
The  passage  (2  Cor.  6  :  14-17)  was  day  and  night  in  my  mind, 
where  it  is  said  :  "  Be  ye  separate "  ;  "be  ye  not  unequally  yoked 
together  with  unbelievers"  ;  and  Eph.  5  :  11  :  "  Have  no  fellow- 
ship with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness,  but  rather  reprove 
them."  The  verse,  also,  which  I  had  learned  in  my  school  days, 
occurred  to  me:  "And  that  servant  which  knew  his  Lord's  will 
and  prepared  not  himself,  neither  did  according  to  his  will,  shall 
be  beaten  with  many  stripes. "  A  terrible  struggle  arose  in  my 
heart.  Sometimes  it  was  :  No  ;  you  are  a  Christian  ;  you  can  no 
longer  be  a  member  of  the  lodge,  no  longer  remain  in  the  commun- 
ion of  unbelievers,  no  longer  transgress  (rod's  commandment ;  you 
should  declare  your  withdrawal.  Then  again  it  was :  Will  you 
bid  adieu  to  all  truly  good  friends  which  you  have  in  the  lodge, 
and  against  whom  you  have  nothing  to  allege  ?  Will  you  never 
visit  any  more  that  place  where  you  nevertheless  have  learned 
much  that  was  useful  ?  Will  you  throw  away  all  the  money  which 
you  have  paid  in  for  these  many  years  ?  No,  that  will  never  do  ! 
Besides,  after  all,  the  thing  is  not  so  very  bad.  Consider  how 
much  good  the  lodge  has  effected.  Many  widows  and  orphans 
have  been  assisted,  many  tears  dried,  much  temporal  want  pre- 


107 

vented.  But  scarcely  had  I  endeavored  in  this  way  to  quiet 
myself,  when  my  conscience  cried:  "  Whoever  knew  his  Lord's 
will  and  did  it  not,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes" !  Can  you 
remain  there,  where  your  Lord  Jesus,  who  has  loved  you  unto 
death,  and  shed  his  blood  for  you,  is  wickedly  denied  and  cruci- 
fied ?  Confess  your  Lord,  then  he  will  confess  you,  not  only  with 
words  but  also  in  deeds.  If  you  do  it  not,  you  deny  your  Lord, 
are  worse  than  Peter,  make  yourself  partaker  of  other  men's  sins, 
strengthen  by  your  example  your  best  friends  in  the  delusion  that 
they  are  in  the  right  way.  Separate  yourself!  have  no  communion 
with  unbelievers !  So  the  tempest  raged  in  my  heart.  Then  I 
determined  once  more  to  examine  the  matter  quietly  and  thor- 
oughly. I  begged  God  for  light,  took  our  manuals  in  hand, 
examined  everything  strictly,  compared  the  doctrines  with  the 
sficred  Scriptures;  and  the  more  I  examined  and  compared,  the 
clearer  it  became  to  my  mind,  that  the  lodge  and  God's  word  con- 
tradict each  other,  even  when  they  seem  to  agree,  as,  for  example,, 
in  regard  to  the  ten  commandments.  Even  there,  I  learned  to  see 
that  there  was  no  agreement,  farther  than  in  the  sound  of  words, 
and  that  the  lodge  denies  the  Lawgiver,  the  Triune  God,  and  per- 
verts the  nature  and  true  meaning  of  the  ten  commandments.  In 
no  place  did  the  irreconcilable  antagonism  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
lodge  to  that  of  the  Scriptures  strike  me  more  forcibly  and  con- 
vincingly, than  in  the  doctrine  of  salvation.  By  this  examination 
I  have  learned  that  it  is  literally  true  :  the  lodge  teaches  that  we 
can  be  saved  by  our  own  virtues,  while  the  sacred  Scriptures  teach 
we  can  be  saved  alone  by  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  It  became  more 
and  more  clear  to  my  mind,  by  this  examination,  that  it  was  a 
grievous  sin  for  me  to  remain  longer  in  an  association  that  teaches 
such  grievous  errors ;  and  still  I  could  not  yet  summon  up  cour- 
age to  resolve':  I  will  tell  them  that  I  withdraw  from  them.  I 
wanted  to  come  to  you,  was  already  near  your  house,  but  had 
no  courage  to  come  in  and  speak  with  you  about  the  matter.  I 


108 

think  shame  held  me  back,  for  I  well  knew  your  opinion  before- 
hand 

Ch.  I  should  have  been  very  glad  had  you  come  in.  What 
such  and  similar  battles  with  our  evil  hearts  are,  I  know  well 
enough  from  my  own  experience.  You  did  not  need  to  be 
ashamed. 

E.  Not  being  able,  as  yet,  to  come  to  the  resolution  to  do 
what  the  word  of  God  demands,  and  to  which  my  conscience 
urged  me,  I  prayed  frequently  and  earnestly  that  our  faithful 
God  would  grant  me  courage  and  strength.  He  has  promised  to 
hear  prayer,  and  I  received  courage  and  joy  fulness  to  form  the  reso- 
lution ;  so  that  I,  after  quiet  deliberation,  made  up  my  mind  to 
renounce  the  lodge.  But  I  would  first  lay  the  whole  matter 
before  our  pastor,  and  for  that  purpose  called  on  him  a  short  time 
ago.  I  first  begged  him  to  give  me  his  opinion  about  the  conne*c- 
tion  of  a  Christian  with  the  lodge.  This,  of  course,  according  to 
Scripture,  could  be  no  other  than  he  gave  it  He  said,  among 
other  things  :  "  A  Christian,  who  believes  in  his  Lord  Jesus  and 
knows  the  false  doctrine  of  the  lodge  and  its  antagonism  to  the 
church,  cannot  possibly  be  a  member  of  the  lodge  without  deny- 
ing Christ. "  When  I  told  him  I  was  convinced  of  it,  and  was 
now  resolved  to  separate  from  the  lodge,  he  praised  God,  and  was 
heartily  rejoiced.  He  added  much  more,  and  encouraged  me  to 
take  this  step  courageously,  in  God's  name.  He  referred  me  to 
the  example  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  who  had  also  been  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  an  unbelieving  body,  namely,  the  sect  of  the  Pharisees, 
who  also  rejected  Christ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  he  had  separated  himself  from  them  and 
had  followed  Christ  alone.  He  also  exhorted  me,  when  I  should 
announce  my  withdrawal  from  the  lodge,  to  do  it  in  a  quiet,  hum- 
ble and  gentle  manner,  and  to  tell  the  lodge  members  the  plain 
truth,  and  give  the  real  reason  for  my  leaving.  For,  he  said,  in 
jsuch  a  case  it  did  not  suiRce  that  a  Christian  merely  declare  his 


109 

withdrawal,  but  it  was  absolutely  demanded  that  he  should  con- 
fess Christ  and  show  that  the  teaching  of  the  lodge  most  glaringly 
contradicts  the  word  of  God,  and  that  on  that  account  he  with- 
drew, and,  as  a  Christian,  was  bound  to  do  so.  Such  testimony  he 
thought  could  perhaps,  sooner  or  later,  produce  good  fruit.  Fin- 
ally, he  admonished  me,  whenever  I  had  an  opportunity,  to  show 
all  manner  of  kindness  to  the  lodge  members,  the  more  so  because 
these  people  usually  imagine  we  hate  them,  and  that  this  is  the 
reason  we  withdraw  from  them.  I  should  therefore  prove  by  my 
acts,  that  instead  of  hating,  I  really  loved  them.  Well,  that  I 
should  have  done  of  my  own  self;  for  God  knows  I  love  their 
persons  and  do  not  hate  them.  After  our  beloved  pastor  had 
wished  me  God's  blessing  upon  my  purpose,  I  left  him  joyfully 
and  with  a  light  heart.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the  lodge  I  carried 
out  my  resolution  and  made  known  my  withdrawal. 

Oh.  Now,  praise  and  thanks  be  to  God  1  But  how  was  your 
resolution  received  ? 

E.  I  declared  that  I  was  bound  by  my  conscience  to  announce 
my  withdrawal,  and  then  began  to  give  the  reasons  for  so  doing, 
saying  that  the  lodge  teaches  the  direct  opposite  of  what  the 
sacred  Scriptures  teach.  The  lodge  teaches,  in  all  its  books  and 
publications,  that  man  giust  make  himself  worthy  of  Heaven  and 
gain  it  by  his  own  virtues;  the  word  of  God,  howevjr,  teaches 
that  we  can  only  be  saved  by  grace,  through  Jesus  Christ.  Thte 
was  clearly  and  plainly  written,  for  example,  Titus  3:5:  "  Not 
by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done.''  And  1  was 
about  to  quote  this  passage,  as  well  as  some  others,  when  the 
Noble  Grand  called  me  to  order  and  said  that  anything  like  that 
was  entirely  out  of  place  here.  The  doctrine  of  the  Bible  did  not 
concern  us  as  a  lodge ;  we  dare  not  dispute  about  religion  here. 
This  was  a  lodge  meeting,  and  in  it  we  dare  only  transact  lodge 
business.  I  tried  once  more  to  gain  the  floor,  and  when  I  suc- 
ceeded I  said  I  had  certainly  the  right  to  give  my  reasons  for 


110 

leaving  the  lodge,  and  would  beg  them  to  listen.  This  7  was 
then  permitted  to  do,  with  the  remark  to  be  brief.  I  then  went 
on :  "  The  lodge  teaching  directly  contrary  to  the  teachings  of 
the  Scriptures,  I  am,  as  a  Christian,  compelled  to  separate  from 
it  and  declare  my  withdrawal.  The  lodge,  for  example,  teaches 
that  we  are  saved  by  works  ;  the  holy  Scriptures,  however,  say  we 
are  saved  by  grace.  I  beg  you  not  to  think  that  this  step  is  taken: 
from  ill  will  toward  the  members  of  the  lodge.'*  This  declaration 
seemed  to  make  a  very  different  impression  on  the  different  mem- 
bers. Some  looked  at  me  with  a  compassionate  shrug  of  the* 
shoulders  ;  others  with  doubtful,  apparently  sneering  smiles ;  stilL 
others  looked  sullen,  yea,  angry.  Several  speakers  now  arose- 
What  was  said,  I  prefer  to  keep  to  myself,  From  some,  it  is  true, 
I  expected  nothing  else  ;  from  others  I  had  hoped  for  something 
better.  Ah,  it  makes  me  really  sorry  for  the  poor  benighted 
souls  1  I  heartily  wish  that  many  of  them  came  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth. 

Ch.  I  am  rejoiced  that  you  have  taken  this  step.  We  will 
thank  God  heartily  therefor  ;  for  it  is  not  our  merit,  but  entirely 
his  grace,  when  we  learn  the  truth.  If  we  had  not  his  blessed 
Word  as  a  light  unto  our  path,  and  did  he  not  give  us  the  grace 
of  his  Holy  Spirit  to  enlighten  our  min^J,  we  could  never  more 
attain  to  a  saving  knowledge.  Neither  will  we  forget  to  pray 
earnestly  for  those  who  are  still  under  the  pernicious  influence  of 
false  doctrine  and  of  unbelieving  fellowship.  We  will  pray  in  the 
words  of  that  beautiful  hymn  : 

"  Fill  with  the  radiance  of  Thy  grace 
The  souls  now  lost  in  error's  maze, 
And  all,  O  Lord,  whose  secret  minds 
Some  dark  delusion  hurts  and  blinds. 
And  all  who  else  have  strayed  from  Thee, 
O,  gently  seek  !    Thy  healing  be 
To  every  wounded  conscience  given, 
And  let  them  also  share  Thy  Heaven.77 


Ill 

I  also  wish  that  it  would  please  God  to  compensate  you  richly  in 
earthly  things  for  what  you  have  lost  hy  taking  this  step. 

E.  I  believe  the  blessed  God  has  done  that  long  since.  He 
has  given  us  health,  and  preserved  it  until  now,  that  we  could 
earn  our  daily  bread  and  something  beside.  He,  who  provides 
for  the  birds  and  clothes  the  lilies,  will  surely  support  and  clothe 
us.  The  lost  money  is  nothing  but  temporal  blessing  ;  not  that  I 
would  by  any  means  despise  temporal  blessings ;  they  are  also 
gifts  of  God's  grace  ;  but  the  spiritual  blessings  and  gifts,  such  ad 
forgiveness  of  sins,  peace  with  God,  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
everlasting  salvation,  are  certainly  a  thousand  times  more  valuable 
than  all  the  goods  of  this  earth.  And  surely  Paul  is  not  wrong 
when  he  says:  "I  count  all  things  but  loss  for  the  excellency  of 
the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord"  (Phil.  3  :  8).  It  being 
a  sin  to  remain  any  longer  in  the  lodge,  and  I  being  in  great 
danger  of  losing  my  salvation,  and  strengthening  others  in  their 
error  by  my  example,  it  was,  according  to  God's  worl,  my  duty 
to  take  this  step.  I  will  joyfully  bear  the  trifling  loss  of  earthly 
things. 

Oh.  Blessed  are  we,  when  we  are  ready  to  leave  all  and  to 
sacrifice  everything,  if  Christ  desires  it  of  us,  that  we  may  confess 
and  follow  him. 

E.  When  I  look  back  upon  my  more  than  ten  years'  association 
with  the  lodge,  it  grieves  me  to  the  heart  that  I  till  now  have  lived 
in  such  blindness,  approved  of  sins  against  God  and  his  blessed 
word,  and  did  not  sooner  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 
May  God  in  mercy  forgive  me.  I  did  not,  until  lately,  clearly  see 
what  a  great  sin  it  is  for  a  Christian  to  unite  with  the  lodge,  nor 
how  grievously  the  lodge  sins  by  denying  the  true  God  and  his 
word  ;  yet  I  have,  now  and  then,  felt  as  if  some  things  were  not 
in  order.  To  mention  only  one, — it  never  seemed  right  to  me, 
that  the  lodge,  which  so  frequently  boasts  of  being  a  society  for 
charitable  purposes  and  mutual  aid,  did  not  render  more  assist- 


112 

ance  to  the  poor  and  weak  outside  of  the  order.  I  once  endeav  - 
ored  to  labor  in  that  direction,  and  said,  since  persons  with  chronic 
diseases,  old  people  and  such  as  could  not  earn  their  own  support, 
as  our  regulations  and  laws  now  are,  could  not  be  received  as 
members,  the  lodge  might  grant  them,  of  its  own  free  will,  a 
weekly  assistance.  But  I  did  not  succeed.  It  was  answered  that 
the  resources  of  the  lodge  would  not  allow  it ;  and  yet  we  had 
many  wealthy  members,  and  some  who  had  many  thousands  upon 
interest.  That  grieved  me  to  the  heart. 

Oh.  Yes,  that  is  really  so.  The  lodge  sounds  its  trumpet 
loudly  in  praise  of  its  deeds  of  charity,  but,  strictly  considered,  it 
only  cares  for  itself.  Egotism  and  self-interest  are  its  governing 
motives.  And  yet  nearly  all  the  members  of  the  lodge  are  so 
blinded,  that  they  see  neither  the  false  doctrine  nor  the  wrong 
doing.  The  lodge  proves  itself  to  be  anti-christian  in  doctrine 
and  practice.  But,  in  spite  of  this,  it  endeavors  to  make  the 
people  believe  that  this  order  of  Odd  Fellows  "  was  instituted  for 
the  glory  of  God  "  ;  that  it  is  its  duty  "  to  let  ike  light  of  truth 
shine  forth  also  in  this  country  ";  that  in  the  lodge,  which  is 
called  "the  House  of  God,"  "Friendship,  Love  and  Truth  are 
practiced"  (See  "  Odd  Fellow,"  August,  1870,  p.  500  ff..). 
And  yet,  strictly  speaking,  the  order  has  no  truth,  least  of  all, 
one  which  promotes  "the  glory  of  God."  The  members  of  the 
lodge  call  themselves  "the  people  of  God's  pasture"  and  "the 
sheep  of  his  hand"  (Manual,  p.  163),  and  assert  that  they  will 
reform  the  world  (Compare  Man.,  pp.  113,  132  ff.,  384;  Pocket 
Comp.,  p.  Ill,  309  ff.).  Yea,  the  lodge  does  not  hesitate  to  act 
as  if  it  were  the  Charch  of  God,  and  to  apply  prophecies  given  to 
the  Church  to  itself  (Compare  Man.,  p.  125,  134,  &c.).  What, 
in  reality,  is  its  position  toward  the  church,  with  her  Word  and 
Sacraments,  we  see,  for  example,  from  the  action  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  West  Virginia,  which,  at  its  Convention  in  April,  1870, 
approved  of  and  confirmed  the  exclusion  of  two  members  of  William 


118 

Tell  Lodge,  No.  6,  because  they  belonged  to  a  congregation  which 
rejects  the  doctrines  and  principles  of  the  order,  and  declared,  on 
this  occasion,  that  if  a  member  of  such  a  congregation  united 
with  the  lodge,  he  should  immediately  withdraw  from  the  congre- 
gation.* It  does  not  stop  to  inquire  whether  it  is  a  congrega- 
tion's right  or  duty  to  reject  their  doctrine.  Exalted  above  God's 
word  and  Church,  it  arbitrarily  commands  what  seems  good  unto 
itself. 

E.  It  is  indeed  a  melancholy  truth,  that  the  lodge,  with  its 
doctrine  and  practice,  stands  in  entire  antagonism  to  the  Church 
of  Christ.  It  is  true,  his  word  is  not  recognized  ;  they  think 
nothing  of  it,  and  consider  themselves  far  above  it. 

Ch.  The  Lord  Jesus  says  (Matt.  7  :  16,  17) :  "  Ye  shall  know 
them  by  their  fruits.  Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns  or  figs  of 
thistles  ?  Even  so  every  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit ;  but 
a  corrupt  tree  bringeth  forth  evil  fruit."  The  worst  of  all  the 
"evil  fruits "  which  this  order  brings  forth,  is  its  false  doctrine. 
First  of  all,  and  the  most  terrible  of  all  maxims,  is,  that  not  the 
sacred  Scriptures,  but  conscience,  perverted  by  sin  and  ungoverned 
by  the  word  of  God,  is  the  highest  "  authority,"  the  only  rule  and 
standard  in  matters  of  religion  and  faith.  From  this  follow,  and 
must  necessarily  follow,  all  other  fundamental  errors,  such  as  : 
the  false  doctrine  of  God  and  the  denial  of  the  holy  Trinity  ;  the 
false  doctrine  of  adoption  by  God,  of  salvation  and  of  prayer. 
From  these  false  doctrines  proceed,  then,  the  evil  fruits  in  practi- 
cal life,  such  as :  contempt  of  God's  word,  of  the  Church  and  the 
Sacraments ;  hatred  toward  the  true  children  of  God  ;  egotism 
and  selfishness  ;  the  extolling  of  selfish  works  as  deeds  of  charily 
and  good  works,  which  merit  heaven  ;  the  approval,  yea  encour- 
agement and  defence  of  the*  most  frightful  perjury,  and  the  like 


*  See  "  Heart  and  Hand/'  Aug.  13th,  1870. 


114 

E.  Praise  and  thanks  be  to  our  faithful  Q-od  that  he  ha« 
brought  me  out  of  darkness  and  uncertainty  to  the  true  knowl- 
edge, and  has  saved  me  from  this  corrupt  association.  May 
God  graciously  save  many  more,  yea,  if  it  were  possible,  all  who 
are  still  imprisoned  in  this  darkness,  and  bring  them  to  the  light 
of  life. 

Ch.  That  is  also  my  desire  and  prayer.  May  the  Lord,  our 
God,  grant  his  "  Yea"  and  "  Amen"  thereto! 


APPENDIX 


.a-iStf  ef  •  &fcetdj  of  tfje  ©rfcet  of  ©trtr  Jpeiiotos, 

DRAWN  FROM  THEIR  OWN  PUBLICATIONS. 


I.— ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  ORDER. 


Almost  without  exception,  the  members  of  secret  societies  seek 
to  represent  their  order  as  of  ancient  origin.  Particularly  is  this 
the  case  with  Free  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows.  They  take  pains  to 
prove  that  their  order  dates  back  to  the  Roman  Emperor  Nero,  to 
Solomon,  yea  even  to  Adam.  In  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United 
States  there  is  "an  emblem  representing  Adam  laying  the  founda- 
tion-stone of  the  order  "  (Manual,  p.  24).  That  this  is  ridiculous, 
every  Christian  must  see  at  the  first  glance.  Were  it  true  that  the 
lodge  reached  back  as  far  as  Solomon  or  Adam,  we  would  willingly 
leave  them  this  more  than  doubtful  honor  ;  but  it  is  by  no  means 
true.  But  why  is  it  that  so  many  members  of  the  lodge  take 
pains  to  spread  the  opinion  that  their  order  is  of  so  ancient  origin? 
No  doubt  in  order  by  its  great  age  to  create  a  great  impression, 


116 

to  make  it  appear  as  if  their  order  was  some  old,  venerable  insti- 
tution, and  because  venerable,  doubtless  also  something  good.  To 
this  end,  they  do  not  hesitate  to  represent  John  the  Baptist,  John 
the  Evangelist,  Solomon,  Closes,  Aaron  and  Adam  as  Free  Masons 
or  Odd  Fellows. 

That  the  Odd  Fellows,  in  proving  the  antiquity  of  their  order, 
must  contradict  themselves  in  the  most  ridiculous  manner,  is  evi- 
dent, because  not  the  slightest  real  proof  of  great  age  can  be 
adduced  from  history ;  and  that  for  the  very  simple  reason  that 
in  old  times  there  was  no  order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In  the  Improved 
Manual  for  Odd  Fellows,  by  A.  B.  Grosh,  we  read,  on  page  25, 
that  all  the  traditions  of  the  origin  of  the  order  under  Adam, 
Moses  and  Aaron,  during  the  Babylonish  captivity  and  the  Roman 
Emperors,  "  and  other  baseless  and  silly  stories,  ....  have  been 
utterly  discarded  as  without  proof  and  absurd,  by  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  United  States,"  and  that  many  years  ago.  Not- 
withstanding, the  "Pocket-Book  of  the  Odd  Fellows,"  of  1868, 
takes  pains,  in  all  earnestness,  to  make  the  members  believe  that  the 
order  is  no  doubt  of  very  ancient  origin.  We  read  (p.  14  if.)  as 
follows :  "  Some  have  dated  it  (the  order)  as  far  back  as  Adam, 
who  was  said  to  have  laid  the  foundation-stone  of  the  order. 
Others  intimate  that  it  existed  among  the  ancient  Jewish  priest- 
hood, under  the  lead  of  Moses  and  Aaron.  One  says  that  it  was 
organized  in  A.  D.  55,  among  the  Roman  soldiers,  and  that  its 
present  name  was  suggested  by  Caesar,  who  called  the  brethren 
Odd  Fellows  because  they  recognized  each  other  by  day  and  by 
night.  It  has  been  proved  *  that  the  order  was  established  in 
the  Spanish  dominions  in  the  fifth  century,  and  that  it  was  also 
introduced  into  Portugal  in  the  sixth  century,  by  King  Henry  ; 
that  in  the  twelfth  century  it  Was  established  in  France,  and 
afterward  in  England,  by  John  De  Neville,  attended  by  five 


*  Where  is  this  proof  to  be  found  ? 


117 

knights  from  France,  who  formed  a  'Loyal  Grand  Lodge  of 
Honor1'  in  London,  that  existed  until  the  eighteenth  century, 
during  the  reign  of  George  III,  when  a  part  of  them  began  to 
form  a  society  of  their  own,  a  portion  of  which  remains  up  to  the 
prenent  clay  ;  that  the  lodges  which  originated  from  these  sev- 
eral organizations  are  numerous  throughout  the  world,  and  have 
been  called,  at  different  periods,  'Loyal  Ancient  Odd  Fellows,' 
'  Union  Odd  Fellows'  and  'Manchester  Union  Odd  Fellows.'' 
'"./  see  no  good  reason,"  the  author  of  the  book  says  further, 
"why  these  historical  accounts  of  the  order  should  be  disputed, 
and  am  inclined,  therefore,  to  believe  that  it  emanated  from  some 
of  the  original  sources  above  named."  The  same  inextricable 
contradiction  is  also  to  be  found  in  the  periodicals  of  the  order ; 
for  example,  in  the  paper  bearing  the  title,  "  The  Odd  Fellow." 
In  the  July  number,  of  1870,  page  430,  the  traditions  of  the  great 
age  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  their  existence  in  the  times  of  Moses, 
Solomon  and  the  Roman  emperors  are  called  "baseless*'  and 
"ridiculous  assertions."  On  page  439,  however,  the  writer  of 
an  article  seeks  to  prove  that  the  origin  or  the  foundation  of  the 
order  dates  back  to  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Nero,  because  it  was 
founded  in  the  year  55  after  Christ,  by  Roman  soldiers.  At  that 
time  they  called  the  members  of  this  society  Fellow-citizens.  The 
name  which  they  bear  to-day  was  given  them  twenty-four  years 
after  the  foundation  of  the  order  by  the  Emperor  Titus.  With 
such  contradictory  nonsense  and  fabricated  history,  men  are  fooled 
by  those  who  have  <£  Truth  "  for  their  motto  and  who  pretend  that 
lies  are  banished  from  their  midst. 

The  order  is  of  very  recent  origin,  as  has  frequently  been 
proved  by  history,  and  not  yet  been  refuted  ;  among  others,  by 
Prof.  Hengstenberg,  in  his  book,  "  Freemasonry  and  the  Evan- 
gelical Pastoral  Office,"  Berlin,  1854.  The  Freemasonry  of  to-day 
was  fabricated  in  the  year  1717,  on  the  24th  of  June,  in  London, 
England,  and  so  came  into  existence.  Previous  to  that  time  there 


118 

never  were  such  Free  Mason  lodges.  It  is  true  there  were  Masons; 
guilds  at  an  earlier  date,  as  also  the  other  crafts  had  their  guilds 
and  associations,  and  some  have  them  still.  Those  Masons'  guilds 
and  unions  had  nothing  in  common  with  our  Free  Masons  of  to-day. 
The  Masons'  associations  previous  to  1717  were  governed  by  the 
Word  of  (rod,  and  exercised  Christian  discipline.  No  one  was 
admitted  into  these  associations  who  despised  God's  word  or  the 
holy  sacraments  ;  the  masters  and  overseers  guarded  Christian 
order  and  required  a  godly  life. 

In  the  year  1717  the  present  Freemasonry  was  "invented," 
which,  unlike  the  Masons  of  old  and  their  guilds,  labors  with 
the  trowel  and  hammer,  but  uses  them  in  plays  and  fooleries. 
Neither  is  it  the  aim  of  this  society  of  Free  Masons  to  improve 
and  perfect  themselves  in  the  art  of  architecture,  which  was  one 
of  the  chief  objects  of  the  ancient  guild  of  Masons;  but  their  aim 
was  to  bring  men,  who  until  then  had  believed  in  and  lived  accord- 
ing to  God's  word,  another  light,  namely,  that  natural  religion 
which  every  one  has  by  nature,  even  from  his  birth,  and  to  con- 
vince them  that  it  is  the  one  right  and  true  religion.  Thereby 
they  did  then  and  do  now  design  to  "enlighten"  the  spirit  of 
man,  and  of  course  bring  all  those,  who  suffer  themselves  to  be 
thus  "enlightened,"  away  from  the  light  of  God's  word  into  the 
thick  darkness  of  their  own  blinded  hearts. 

That  the  Freemasonry  of  to-day  is  not  older,  we  can  learn  from 
the  book  of  R.  Clemen,  "The  Origin,  Development  and  Signifi- 
cation of  Secret  Societies,"  Columbus,  Ohio,  1860.  The  author 
is  a  genuine  Free  Mason  and  Odd  Fellow,  which  he  proves,  among 
other  things,  by  what  he  says  on  page  61  :  Many  of  the  ancients 
understood  the  birth  of  God's  Son  literally,  took  the  type  for  the 
idea  concealed  in  the  type,  and  accordingly  those  of  modern  times 
believe  also  in  a  literal  sense  in  the  Son  of  God.  And,  in  order 
to  prevent  this  belief,  that  is  contradictory  to  the  very  Being  of 
God,  from  going  to  decay,  they  take  the  greatest  pains  to  pervert 


110 

the  order  of  nature,  and  over  and  again  to  prove  that  and  how 
God  could  have  a  Son.  And  in  the  conclusion  of  his  book,  after 
endeavoring  to  sully  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ  plentifully  with 
his  venom,  and  elevating  and  praising  the  apostates  (provided 
they  had  hecome  members  of  the  lodge),  he  declares  (p.  134) : 
"  Hell  is  only  for  those  who  invented  it."  Well,  this  Mr.  Clemen 
himself  acknowledges  that  the  Freemasonry  of  to-day  is  no  older 
(p.  76).  To  be  sure  he  takes  pains  to  prove  an  affinity  of  principle 
and  spirit  with  the  earlier  Masonic  guilds,  in  which  he  of  course 
does  not  succeed,  and  never  will,  because  those  Masonic  guilds 
stood  upon  the  foundation  of  God's  Word  and  the  Christian 
Church ;  the  present  Freemasons,  however,  on  the  foundation  of 
a  mongrel  religion  of  reason. 

This  order  of  Free  Masons,  like  all  other  weeds,  is  fruitful, 
and  is  the  mother  of  many  other  secret  societies.  Our  Odd  Fel- 
low order  undoubtedly  springs  from  it,  as  its  doctrines  prove, 
which  essentially  coincide  with  those  of  the  order  of  Free 
'Masons,  just  as  its  constitution  is  essentially  the  same.  An 
"ex-master"  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  L.  Meyer,  tells  the  same  thing 
in  the  "Odd  Fellow"  of  November,  1870,  page  690.  Among 
other  things,  he  says:  "In  the  Masonic  alliance  we  find  .  .  .  the 
beginning  of  our  order."  And  further:  "  The  foundation  of  our 
order  is  to  be  looked  for  in  the  last  ten  years  of  the  last  century." 
But  not  even  the  slightest  proof,  which  will  bear  the  test,  has 
hitherto  been  given,  that  this  order  was  founded  before  1800. 
We  find  the  first  historical  proof  of  its  existence  in  England  in 
the  year  1809.  At  this  time  we  find  the  members  of  the  order 
frequently  assembled  in  houses  of  doubtful  reputation,  making 
merry  over  the  mug  of  beer  and  other  worldly  amusements. 
In  the  year  1813  several  lodges  separated  from  them  and 
formed  a  union  of  their  own,  under  the  name  of  "Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows."  As  this  branch  of  the  Odd  Fellows  more 
or  less  did  away  with  the  beer  drinking  at  their  lodge  meetings, 


120 

and,  what  certainly  was  the  main  point,  assisted  its  members  more 
liberally  in  case  of  sickness,  it  spread  very  quickly,  which  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  when  we  remember  that  it  was  a  time  barren 
and  gloomy  as  regards  Christian  faith  and  activity.  From  this 
branch  of  the  order  afterwards  originate  1  other  independent  asso- 
ciations, among  others  the  "Manchester  Unity,"  from  which  the 
lodge  members  in  this  country  count  their  origin. 

Thomas  Wildey,  a  blacksmith,  immigrated  in  tne  year  1817 
from  England,  and  founded  the  order  here  in  1819,  which  remained 
in  connection  with  the  order  in  England  until  the  year  1843.  It 
then  deemed  itself  strong  enough  to  be  self-reliant,  and  therefore 
separated  from  the  order  in  England,  notwithstanding  the  latter 
had  treated  the  Odd  Fellows  in  this  country  very  liberally,  had 
given  them  charters  and  their  own  jurisdiction.  They  did  not 
like,  however,  to  be  subject  any  longer  to  any  other  authority, 
which  could  throw  hindrances  in  the  way  of  their  rule  and  ambi- 
tion ;  and  so  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  declared  itself 
"the  only  Fountain  and  Depository  of  Independent  Oddfellow-' 
ship  on  the  globe"  (Manual,  p.  55).  In  this  manner  the  alliance 
was  cut  off,  and  brotherly  love  came  to  an  end.  Indeed  the 
usurped  authority  went  so  far  in  proscribing  all  the  much  vaunted 
love  for  the  mother  lodge  in  England,  that  to  this  day  it  forbids 
its  members  to  unite  with  a  lodge  of  the  "Manchester  Unity," 
under  pain  of  expulsion.*  And  since  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States  has  proclaimed  itself  to  be  "  the  only  fountain  of 
Independent  Odd  Fellowship  on  the  globe, "  it  recognizes  no  other 
order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  therefore  neither  card  nor  any  other- 
document  from  the  Manchester  Unity  is  considered  valid  by  it. 
If  the  Manchester  Unity  wishes  to  be  acknowledged,  it  must  bow 
before  its  own  revolutionary  child,  and  beg  from  the  same  permis- 
sion for  its  existence,  in  the  form  of  a  charter. 


*  See  Digest,  p  236  ff. 


121 

Is  it  still  asked,  why  these  and  other  secret  societies  were 
founded  at  all,  we  reply,  with  the  "Odd  Fellow,"  without  satis- 
factorily answering  the  question,  that :  "  The  doubter  in  the  circle 
of  the  brethren  .  .  .  can  express  himself  more  freely"  ("0.  F.," 
Nov.,  1870,  p.  090),  and  that  "free  religious  views  might 
develop  themselves"  ("0.  F.,"  July,  1871,  p.  56).  The  religious 
views,  or,  better,  the  Christian  doctrines  of  the  sacred  Scriptures, 
Tere  nr>t  free  enough  for  these  people ;  the  doctrine  of  repentance 
and  faith  did  not  please  them ;  to  he  saved  hy  grace,  they  did  not 
Iifee;  and  on  that  account,  as  the  Odd  Fellows  themselves  say, 
secret  societies  were  established. 


II.—GOVERNMENT. 


1.— EXTERNAL  DIVISION. 

The  order  consists  of  two  departments,  namely,  Lodges   an*? 
Encampments. 


(A) — LODGES. 

(a).  Subordinate  Lodges.  —  Subordinate  Lodges  are  those 
which  stand  under  the  jurisdiction  of  a  State  Grand  Lodge,  or,  in 
case  none  such  exists  in  the  respective  States,  under  the  immediate 
jurisdiction  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States.  When 
*ive  lodge  members  are  found  in  a  place  where  there  is  no  lodge 
or  where,  according  to  their  opinion,  there  are  too  few  lodges, 
fhey  can  apply  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State,  or,  in  case  none 
such  exists,  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  for  a  char- 
ter, and  if  this  is  granted,  they  can  found  a  new  lodge.  The 
petitioners  dare,  however,  never  neglect  to  enclose  the  charter, 


122 

fee,  which  is  usually  thirty  dollars.  That  is  the  main  point ;  for, 
without  respectable  payment,  the  Grand  Lodge  concerned  will 
move  neither  hand  nor  foot,  neither  pencil  nor  pen,  and  still  less 
will  it  without  money  grant  permission  to  a  number  of  persons  to 
assent  to  its  false  doctrines  and  to  assume  the  obligation  to  be 
obedient  to  it.  The  form  of  such  a  petition,  as  determined  by 
law,  is  the  following  (see  Digest,  p.  419;  Pocket  Comp.,  p.  274) : 

"  To  the  Grand  Sire,  Officers  and  Members  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  United  States:  The  petition  of  the  undersigned,  holding 
withdrawal  cards  from  lodges  legally  recognized  by  your  R.  W. 
body,  respectfully  represents  that  it  would  be  consistent  with  the 
advantages  of  the  order,  to  establish  a  Subordinate  Lodge,  to  be 
located  at  -  — ,  in  the  State  of .  Wherefore  your  peti- 
tioners pray  that  a  Warrant  may  duly  issue,  in  pursuance  of  the 
laws  of  your  R.  W.  body." 

As  soon  as  the  petition,  with  the  handsome  sum  of  money,  has 
arrived,  for  which  not  one  drop  of  sweat  has  been  shed,  the  "  R. 
W.  Grand  Lodge"  generally  condescends  most  graciously  to  grant 
the  request.  The  form  in  which  it  is  given  is  the  following  (see 
Digest,  p.  421  ff.;  Pocket  Comp.,  p.  275  ff.) : 

"  I,  Most  Worthy  Grand  Sire  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of  the  United  States  of  America 
and  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Order  thereunto  belonging  : 
"Friendship,  Love  and  Truth. 

"Know  ye,  that,  by  virtue  of  the  powers  in  me  vested,  I  do 
hereby  authorize  and  empower  our  trusty  and  well-beloved  breth- 
ren, — ,  and  their  successors,  duly  and  legally  elected,  to 

constitute  a  lodge  in  the of and  State  of ,  to  be 

known  and  hailed  by  the  title  of .     And  I  do  further  autho 

ize  and  empower  our  said  trusty  and  well-beloved  brethren  and 
their  successors  to  admit  and  make  Odd  Fellows  according  to  the 
ancient  usages  and  customs  of  the  Order,  and  not  contrary  wise  ; 
with  full  power  and  authority  to  hear  and  determine  all  and  sin- 


128 

gular  matters  and  things  relating  to  the  Order  within  the  juris- 
diction of  the  said  lodge,  according  to  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States.  Provided,  always, 
that  the  said  above-named  brethren  and  their  successors  pay  due 
respect  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  and  the  ordi- 
nances thereof;  otherwise  this  Dispensation  to  be  of  no  force  or 
effect 

*  Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States,  at  the  city  of  Baltimore, "  &c. 

After  the  reception  of  such  a  "  charter/'  the  new  lodge  is 
"  instituted"  or  "opened"  with  all  manner  of  pomp  and  pagean- 
try, by  the  respective  Grand  Lodges,  and  their  elected  officers, 
namely,  Noble  Grand,  Vice  Grand,  one  or  two  Secretaries  and  a 
Treasurer,  are  installed.  Thib  installation  may  be  performed  by 
the  "Most  Worthy  Grand  Master ''  in  his  own  proper  person,  or 
by  a  Deputy.  Of  course  the  new  lodge  must  pay  all  the  traveling 
expenses,  and  so  forth.  In  order  to  give  an  insight  into  the  fool- 
eries, buffooneries  and  lying  honorary  titles,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  become  acquainted  with  the  ungodly  straight-jacket  into  which 
the  Grand  Lodge  puts  every  subordinate  lodge  and  every  member 
of  the  order,  without  previously  affording  them  opportunity  for 
examination  and  reflection,  we  give  such  a  disgusting  ceremonial 
of  the  "installation  of  the  officers  of  the  subordinate  lodges," 
from  the  Digest,  page  434  ff.,  and  Pocket  Comp.,  page  252  ff. 
But  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  this  is  the  form  used  at  public 
installations.  What  takes  place  at  secret  installations,  behind 
closed  doors,  is  not  made  known  to  any  "profane"  person.  Nev- 
ertheless, this  formula  suffices  perfectly.  It  runs  as  follows  : 

"All  the  ordinary  ceremonies  of  the  lodge  being  suspended, 
the  inner  door  being  opened  wide,  and  the  officers  in  their  respec- 
tive stations,  the  Grand  Marshal,  having  a  white  baton,  trimmed 
with  scarlet,  approaches,  and  the  following  conversation  ensues : 

"  Grand  Marshal.    Worthy  Guardian,  inform  the  Noble  Grand 


124 

diat  the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  R.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of demands 

admission. 

"Inside  Guardian.  Noble  Grand,  the  W.  Grand  Marshal  of 
the is  without,  and  demands  admission. 

11  Noble  Grand.     You  will  admit  him. 

44  Inside  Guardian.     You  have  liberty  to  enter. 

"The  Grand  Marshal  passes  to  the  center  of  the  lodge,  facing 
the  Noble  Grand,  whom  he  salutes  with  the  baton. 

"  Grand  Marshal.  Worthy  Noble  Grand,  I  am  instructed,  by 

the  M.  W.  Grand  Master  of  the  K.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of  the , 

to  ascertain  whether  the  charter  (or  dispensation)  of  this  lodge  is 
in  the  hall ;  whether  the  dues  of  this  Lodge  have  been  paid, 
and,  if  not,  to  request  that  they  shall  be  placed  in  my  iiands  ;  * 
to  ask  if  the  officers  have  been  elected  for  the  ensuing  term  ;  it 
they  are  free  from  all  charges,  pecuniary  or  otherwise,  upon  your 
lodge-books ;  and  whether  you  are  now  ready  to  proceed  with  the 
ceremony  of  installation  ? 

"  Noble  Grand.  Worthy  Grand  Marshal,  the  charter  of  this 
Lodge  is  in  the  lodge-room,  and  in  my  keeping.  The  Treasurer 
will  pay  over  to  you  the  dues  of  the  Lodge,  or  show  you  the 
Grand  Secretary's  receipt  for  the  same.  The  officers  for  the  ensu- 
ing term  have  been  elected ;  they  each  and  all  stand  free  from 
all  charges  upon  our  lodge-books.  You  will  please  inform  the 
M.  W.  Grand  Master  that  we  are  prepared  for  installation,  and 
await  his  pleasure. 

1  i  After  receiving  the  dues,  the  Grand  Marshal  again  salutes 
the  Noble  Grand  and  retires.  The  procession  being  formed,  the 
grand  officers  approach  the  door. 

"  Grand  Marshal.  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Independent* 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of 

"Inside  Guardian.     Noble  Grand,  the  Grand  Lodge. 


'  The  Grand  Marshal  knew  all  this  beforehand. 


125 

"  Noble  Grand.  In  the  name  of  Friendship,  Love  and  Truth, 
admit  them. 

"They  enter  and  pass  to  the  center  of  the  hall.  The  lodge 
rises.  The  Grand  Master  steps  in  front. 

"  Grand  Master.  Noble  Grand,  by  authority  of  the  R.  W. 

Grand  Lodge  of ,  we  appear  here  this  evening  for  the  purpose 

of  installing  into  their  respective  chairs  the  officers  of  this  lodge. 
You  will  please  direct  your  officers  to  surrender  their  respective 
chairs  to  the  grand  officers  in  attendance,  and  you  will  now  please 
take  your  seat  as  Sitting  Past  Grand  of  this  lodge  for  the  current 
term. 

"  Noble  Grand.  Officers  of Lodge,  you  will  surrender 

your  chairs  to  the  officers  of  the  R.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of 

"  The  Grand  Master  will  take  the  Noble  Grand's  chair,  the 
Grand  Warden  will  take  the  Vice  Grand's,  the  Grand  Secretary 
will  take  the  Secretary's,  and  the  Grand  Treasurer  will  take  the 
Treasurer's  chair. 

"  Grand  Master.  My  brethren,  you  will  please  be  seated. 
Worthy  Grand  Marshal,  you  will  retire  with  the  officers  elect  ;or 
examination.  It  is  unnecessary  for  nie  to  remind  you  that  that 
duty  should  be  faithfully  performed. 

"  After  the  examination  of  the  candidates,  the  Grand  Marsha 
will  announce,  through  the  Grand  Guardian  : 

"The  Grand  Marshal,  with  the  officers  elect  for  installation. 

"  The  Grand  Marshal  and  officers  elect  will  enter  in  procession, 
the  lodge  remaining  seated.  Each  of  the  officers  may  be  supported 
by  two  who  have  passed  the  same  office,  and  will  form  a  line  on 
the  left  of  the  Noble  Grand's  chair.  During  the  march  into  the 
lodge,  the  following  may  be  sung : 

"  INSTALLATION  ODE. 

*4Come,  let  us  swell  the  joyful  note, 

And  hail  the  chosen  band, 
Who,  in  compliance  with  our  vote, 
To-night  before  us  siand. 


126 

Our  Noble  and  Vice  Grand  will  now 

To  seats  of  honor  move,  . .     .     • 

And  bear  the  ensign  on  their  brow 
Of  Friendship,  Truth  and  Love. 

•'  Hail !   all  our  officers  elect, 

Of  high  and  low  degree, 
flail !  each  with  due  and  kind  respect 

Whate'er  his  station  be. 
We  place  reliance  in  their  zeal, 

That  they  will  worthy  prove, 
And  stamp  their  actions  with  the  seal 

Of  Friendship,  Truth  and  Love. 

"  Grand  Marshal.  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  I  present  to  you 
Cor  installation  our  worthy  brother  (A.  B.),  whom  the  brethren  of 
this  lodge  have  elected  Noble  Grand  for  the  present  term. 

"  Grand  Master.  (To  the  Noble  Grand  elect.)  Brother,  do 
you  accept  of  the  office  to  which  you  have  Veen  elected  ? 

Noble  Grand  elect.     I  do. 

"  Grand  Master.  (To  the  lodge.)  Brethren,  are  you  content 
with  the  choice  you  have  made  of  Noble  Grand  ? 

"  Answer  (usually  in  the  affirmative). 

'-  Should  any  objection  be  expressed,  the  Grand  Master,  if  the 
installation  be  in  public,  will  recall  the  officers  to  their  respective 
chairs,  and,  with  the  grand  officers,  will  retire.  If  the  installa- 
tion be  in  private,  it  will  be  the  duty  of  the  Grand  Master  to 
examine  its  nature  ;  and  if  it  should  appear  that  the  election  has 
been  effected  by  irregular  or  illegal  means,  the  Grand  Master  shall 
order  a  new  election  to  take  place  at  that  time,  which  he  shall 
conduct,  and  the  person  then  elected,  if  qualified,  shall  be  installed. 
These  directions  apply  to  all  the  officers. 

«'  Grand  Master.  M.  W.  Grand  Marshal,  have  you  examined 
the  Noble  Grand  elect,  to  ascertain  whether  he  is  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  the  various  lectures  and  instructions  to  enable 
him  to  deliver  them  according  to  his  office?  Have  you  asoer- 


127 

tained  whether  he  has  rendered  sufficient  previous  service  in  office, 
and  is  free  from  all  charges  on  the  books  of  this  lodge,  of  whatso- 
ever kind  ? 

"  Grand  Marshal.  I  have,  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  and  find 
the  brother  competent  and  eligible  to  fill  the  honorable  station  to 
which  he  has  been  elected  by  the  brothers  of  this  lodge.  , 

"  Grand  Master.  Noble  Grand  elect,  will  you  promise  to  sub- 
mit to  your  charges;  to  be  obedient  to  the  mandates  of  the  Grand 

Lodge  of  the ;  to  support  the  regulations  of  our  order ;   to 

act  with  justice  toward  all  brothers,  as  is  the  duty  of  a  Noble 
Grand? 

"  Noble  Grand  elect.     I  will. 

"  Grand  Master.  Your  apparent  willingness  to  conform  to  the 
charges  and  regulations  of  our  order,  the  proficiency  you  have 
made  therein,  your  moral  standing,  your  freedom  from  indebted- 
ness to  the  lodge,  and  the  voice  of  a  majority  thereof,  entitle  you 
to  be  now  installed  into  the  office  of  Noble  Grand  of  this  lodge. 
You  will,  therefore,  place  your  right  hand  upon  your  left  breast, 
and  repeat  after  me  : 

"Noble  Grands  0.  B.  N.  (Signifies  Oath.  The  Author.*)-— 
In  the  presence  of  the  members  of  the  order  here  assembled,  I, 

,  do  promise,  declare,  and  say,  that  I  will  perform  the  duties 

of  Noble  Grand  of  this  lodge  until  the  end  of  the  present  term ; 
and  will  support,  maintain  and  abide  by  the  Constitution,  By-Laws, 
Rules  and  Regulations  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Independent 

Order  of  Odd  Fellows  of  the ,  as  well  as  the  Constitution  and 

By-Laws  of  this  Lodge.  I  furthermore  promise,  that  I  will  not 
give  the  means  "whereby  to  gain  admission,  to  any  person  except  a 
member  of  this  Lodge,  in  good  standing.  I  will,  to  the  utmost 
of  my  power,  enforce  the  laws,  and  preserve  order  and  decorum 
in  the  Lodge.  I  will  judge  of  every  transaction  that  comes 


*  Compare  Digest,  p.  528.     Index  Article;  Oath. 


128 

before  me  without  prejudice  or  partiality  ;  see  that  the  obliga- 
tions to  candidates  for  membership  are  legally  administered;  and, 
should  the  Grand  Lodge  direct,  I  will  deliver  the  Warrant  or  Dis- 
pensation of  this  Lodge  to  the  Grand  Master.  All  this  I  promise 
to  fulfill,  unless  prevented  by  sickness,  or  some  other  unavoidable 
occurrence.  To  the  performance  of  all  which  I  pledge  my  most 
sacred  honor. 

"  Grand  Master.  W.  Grand  Marshal,  yon  will  proceed  to 
nvest  the  Noble  Grand  in  the  regalia  of  his  office. 

"  Grand  Marshal.  By  command  of  the  M.  W.  Grand  Master, 
I  invest  you  with  this  collar,  jewel,  and  other  regalia,  which  are 
emblems  of  your  office. 

"  Grand  Master.  Noble  Grand,  you  will  receive  from  us  the 
Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  your  Lodge  ;  you  are  to  take  them 
for  your  guide,  and  cause  them  to  be  frequently  read  in  your  Lodge. 
You  will  please  be  seated  at  our  right  hand. 

„  Grand  Marshal.  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  I  present  to  you, 
for  installation,  our  worthy  brother  (C.  D  ),  whom  the  brethren  of 
this  Lodge  have  elected  Vice  Grand  for  the  present  term. 

"  Grand  Master.  Brother,  do  you  accept  the  office  to  which 
you  have  been  elected  ? 

"  Vice  Grand  elect.     I  do. 

"  Grand  Master.  Brethren  of  the  Lodge,  are  you  content  in 
the  choice  you  have  made  of  Vice  Grand  ? 

"  Answer.      (As  in  case  of  Noble  Grand.) 

"  Grand  Master.  W.  Grand  Marshal,  have  you  examined  the 
Vice  Grand  elect,  to  ascertain  whether  he  is  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  the  various  lectures  and  instructions  to  enable  him  to  assist 
in  delivering  them  according  to  his  office  ?  Have  you  ascertained 
whether  he  has  rendered  sufficient  previous  service  in  office,  and 
is  free  from  all  charges  on  the  books  of  this  Lodge,  of  whatsoever 
kind? 

"  Grand  Marshal.     I  have,  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  and  find  the 


129 

brother  competent  and  eligible  to  fill  the  honorable  station  to  which 
he  has  been  elected  by  the  brothers  of  this  Lodge. 

"  Grand  Master.  Vice  Grand  elect,  will  you  promise  to  yield 
a  like  obedience  to  your  charges  and  the  mandates  of  the  R.  W. 
Grand  Lodge,  as  the  Noble  Grand  ;  to  assist  him  in  the  execution 
of  his  office ;  to  use  your  efforts  in  promoting  the  harmony  and 
welfare  of  the  Lodge,  and  to  increase  love  among  your  brethren  ? 

11  Vice  Grand  elect.     I  will. 

"  Grand  Master.  In  consequence  of  your  avowed  willingness 
to  enter  upon  and  perform  the  duties  of  Vice  Grand  of  this  Lodge, 
you  will  now  proceed  with  our  W.  Grand  Marshal  to  the  chair  of 
your  office,  where  you  will  be  installed.  W.  Grand  Marshal,  you 
will  present  the  Vice  Grand  elect  to  our  R.  W.  Grand  Warden  for 
obligation. 

"  Grand  Marshal.  R.  W.  Grand  Warden,  by  command  of  our 
M.  W.  Grand  Master,  I  present  you  brother  (C.  D.),  the  Vice 
Grand  elect,  for  obligation. 

11  Grand  Warden.  Vice  Grand  elect,  you  will  please  place 
your  right  hand  upon  your  left  breast,  and  repeat  after  me  : 

"  Vice  Grands  0.  B.  N.  (Oath.  The  Author.)— In  the  pres- 
ence of  the  members  of  the  order  now  assembled,"  and  so  forth. 

( Essentially  the  same  oath  as  that  of  the  Noble  Grand. 
Author. ) 

"  Grand  Master.  W.  Grand  Marshal,  you  will  proceed  to 
invest  the  Vice  Grand  with  the  regalia  of  his  office. 

"  Grand  Marshal.  By  command  of  the  M.  W.  Grand  Master, 
T  inrest  you  with  the  badges  of  your  office.  In  receiving  them, 
you  will  not  cease  to  remember  that  the  preference  of  the  Lodge 
has  placed  them  upon  you,  in  the  full  confidence  that,  while  you 
wear  them,  their  purity  shall  not  be  blemished. 

"  Grand  Warden.  Vice  Grand,  I  present  to  you  a  copy  of  the 
Constitution  and  By-Laws  of  your  Lodge,  which  you  will  make 
your  »tudy,  in  order  that  you  may  assist  the  Noble  Grand  in  tht 


180 

performance  of  his  duties;  and  this  gavil,  which  indicates  that 
you  are  to  assist  him  in  the  exercise  of  his  authority.  You  will 
now  take  your  seat  as  Vice  Grand  of  this  Lodge  for  the  present 
term." 

In  like  manner  are  then  the  Recording  Secretary,  the  Per- 
manent Secretary,  and  the  Treasurer,  "  presented,"  sworn  in, 
and  invested  with  the  appointed  regalia  (better  speaking;  mum- 
meries) for  the  respective  offices.  After,  then,  by  "  command"  of 
the  "M.  W.  Grand  Master,"  the  "  Noble  Grand  "  has  appointed 
his  other  officers  ^the  whole  number  of  officers  in  a  lodge  is  but 
seventeen),  the  "  M.  W.  Grand  Master  turns  again  to  the  "Noble 
Grand  ' ?  with  the  following  words  : 

"  Noble  Grand,  previous  to  delivering  into  your  keeping  the 
charter  and  books  pertaining  to  your  office,  it  is  necessary  that 
you  should  enter  with  us  into  another  obligation.  Place  yourself 
in  the  attitude  in  which  you  were  last  obligated,  and  repeat : 

"I,  Noble  Grand,  do,  in  the  presence  of  these  brethren,  most 
sincerely  promise  and  declare,  that  I  will  neither  print  nor  write, 
nor  cause  to  be  printed  or  written,  any  part  or  parts  of  the  secret 
work  of  Oddfellowship  ;  nor  will  I,  in  the  presence  of  any  person, 
either  read  or  rehearse,  or  cause  to  be  understood  by  any  means, 
any  part  or  parts  of  it,  except  in  the  presence  of  brothers  duly 
qualified  to  receive  the  same  in  legal  form.  Nor  will  I,  at  any 
time,  permit  these  books  to  be  taken  from  my  keeping,  by  any 
person  or  persons,  excepting  those  subordinate  officers  whose  vari- 
ous charges  shall  have  obligated  them  to  return  to  me  such  printed 
or  written  part  or  parts  as  were  delivered  to  them,  without  having 
made,  themselves,  or  permitted  any  others  to  make,  any  extracts, 
or  take  any  copies  therefrom ;  and  I  will  use  every  effort  to  effect 
the  return  of  those  books,  or  printed  or  written  parts  of  them,  as 
soon  as  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  obtained  from  me  has 
been  accomplished.  And  I  do  furthermore  promise  and  declare, 
that  I  will  deliver  these  books  to  no  person  or  persons,  excepting 


131 

the  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  or  his  Deputy,  or  to  a  committee  from 
the  Grand  Lodge,  and  the  Noble  Grand  who  shall  have  been  elected 
to  succeed  me.  To  the  performance  of  all  which  I  pledge  my  most 
sacred  honor. " 

It  is  therefore  not  enough  that  the  Noble  Grand  swears  once, 
he  must  swear  twice  before  taking  possession  of  his  "office." 
That  done,  the  "  M.  W.  Grand  Master"  confidently  delivers  the 
books  and  writings  into  his  hands,  those  which  even  the  "profane " 
may  read,  as  well  as  those  which  dare  not  be  polluted  by  the  hands 
of  the  unclean. 

After  this  terribly  tedious  ceremony  follows  a  long  string  of 
charges,  addressed  to  each  officer  separately,  the  main  substance 
of  which  is  always  a  charge  to  obedience,  which  is  just  as  tedious, 
and  which  we  also  rather  omit.  After  this  lengthy,  repulsive 
ceremony,  during  which  some  cannot  refrain  from  laughter,  and 
others  from  sleep,  follows  the  solemn  conclusion,  when  the  Grand 
Marshal  takes  the  floor,  and  with  a  certain  omnipotence  and  with 
raised  voice,  says  : 

"And  now,  by  command  of  the  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  and  in 
the  name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Right  Worthy  Grand  Lodge 

of ,  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  I  do  declare 

the  officers  of Lodge,  No. ,  installed  into  their  respective 

offices  for  the  current  term,  in form." 

The  brethren  answer  :    "  So  be  it." 

Having,  then,  for  this  time,  sufficiently  worthied  each  other, 
and  having  all  (at  least  the  officers)  descended  beneath  the  name 
of  a  Christian  and  the  dignity  of  men  ;  having  reverenced  a 
Grand  Man,  "  mostly  and  very  highly";  having  debased  them- 
selves as  his  slaves,  his  obedient  servants  and  sycophants,  it  will 
be  difficult  for  them  ever  again  to  attain  to  the  dignity  of  men, 
and  still  more  so  to  attain  to  the  dignity  of  Christians. 

That  the  audience  now  heartily  rejoices  at  last  to  have  this 
tedious  comedy  ended,  and  disperses  in  a  very  good  humor,  is 


132 

readily  to  be  understood,  the  more  so,  as  in  most  cases  the  accu- 
mulated "thirst"  claims  its  due.  However,  the  lodge  is  formed 
and  established,  and  every  one  who  desires  to  be  a  servant  of  men 
can,  by  paying  the  feo  for  proposal,  usually  three  dollars,  be  pro- 
posed for  admission.* 

In  every  subordinate  lodge,  the  Noble  Grand  exercises  the  gov- 
ernment. Every  one  who  does  not  obey  his  word,  is  immediately 
punishod,  and  has  either  to  pay  dowji  a  fine  or  must  allow  himself 
to  enjoy  the  honor  of  being  suspended  or  put  out  of  doors. 

No  one  is  allowed  to  speak  in  the  lodge,  or  to  vote,  who  does 
not  appear  in  his  proper  regalia.  At  the  election  of  officers,  no 
one  can  vote  who  owes  the  lodge  anything,  should  it  only  be  five 
cents.  If  any  one  is  in  arrears  with  his  dues  for  three  months, 
he  can  only  attend  the  weekly  meetings  of  the  lodge  by  special 
permission  of  the  "  Noble  Grand  "  ;  if  he  does  not  soon  pay,  he 
will  be  suspended  or  stricken  from  the  roll. 

(6).  The  State  Grand  Lodges,^ — These  assemble  annually 
or  semi-annually,  and  are  composed  of  all  the  Past  Grands.  As, 
however,  the  lodge  members  of  the  first  degrees  are  still  groping 
too  much  in  the  dark,  and  the  light  of  the  lodge  has  not  been  suf- 
ficiently shed  upon  them  ;  therefore  the  representatives  can  under 
no  condition  be  others  than  Past  Grands.  These  together  form  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  State.  The  elected  officers  of  a  Grand  Lodge 
are :  "  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  R.  W.  Deputy  Grand  Master,  R.  W. 
Grand  Warden,  R.  W.  Grand  Secretary,  R.  W.  Grand  Treasurer, 
who  are  elected  annually ;  and  R.  W.  Grand  Representative,  or 
Representatives,  elected  biennially."  To  these  are  added  a  host 


*  Some  of  the  chief  conditions  for  reception  are.  that  the  candidate  be 
a  free,  white  man,  of  good  moral  character,  and  not  under  twenty-one  years 
of  age  ;  that  he  believe  in  a  u  Supreme  Being,  the  Creator  and  Preserver 
of  the  Universe  "  ;  that  he  be  healthy,  can  support  himself,  &c. 

f  According  to  the  report  of  1873,  more  than  forty  State  Grand  Lodges 
belong  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States. 


133 

of  other  "  worthy "  officers  who  are  appointed  by  the  M.  W. 
Grand  Master,  among  which  the  "  W.  Grand  Chaplain"  and  ihe 
"Inside  and  Outside  Guardians,"  "with  drawn  sword,"  must  not 
be  wanting 

If  in  a  State  or  Territory  there  is  no  Grand  Lodge  in  exist- 
ence, three  or  more  lodges  are  permitted,*  if  they  have  seven 
Past  Grands,  to  petition  the  Grand  Lodge  cf  the  "[Tinted  States 
for  permission  to  establish  a  State  Grand  Lodge  ;  that  is,  if  they 
are  right  humble,  and  promise  perfect  obedience,  in  every  respect, 
to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  (G.  L.  TJ.  S.),  and  do  not 
forget  to  enclose  the  necessary  fee,  thirty  dollars  ;  for  only  under 
these  conditions  will  the  G.  L  U.  S.  take  their  petition  in,o  con- 
sideration. For  brevity's  sake,  we  omit  the  form  of  this  petition, 
as  well  as  the  form  of  the  charter.  They  are  essentially  the  same 
as  with  the  subordinate  lodge.  The  main  point  of  such  a  charter, 
which  the  Right  Worthy  or  Most  Worthy  Grand  Sire  graciously 
vouchsafes  to  grant,  is  always  the  demand  for  strict  obedience  and 
that  of  "due  respect  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States 
and  the  ordinances  thereof"  (Pocket  Gump.,  p.  200;  Digest, 
p.  422).  After  such  a  charter  has  been  granted  (which  usually 
is  given),  the  Grand  Lodge  is  most  solemnly  "organized"  or 
"  established"  by  the  "Most  Worthy  Grand  Sire"  or  his  deputy 
with  much  pomp  and  parade.  Such  a  State  Grand  Lodge  has  the 
jurisdiction  over  all  the  lodges  of  the  respective  State.  No  lodge 
of  the  "  Independent  order  of  Odd  Fellows  "  (I.  0.  0.  F.)  can  be 
established  in  the  State  without  its  permission,  and  without  having 
paid  for  it  And,  should  it  occur  to  any  lodge  not  to  render  prompt 
obedience,  or  to  wish  to  obey  God  rather  than  man,  it  would  forth- 
with be  suspended,  and  the  Grand  Lodge  would  confiscate  all  the 
property,  which  the  members  have  often  acquired  with  their  hard- 
earned  money. f  And,  as  the  subordinate  lodges  (S.  L.)  are  bound 

*  The  Manual  says  ten  lodges  are  requisite  (p.  419). 
f  See,  for  example,  Manual,  p.  439  ff. 


134 

to  the  strictest  obedience  to  the  State  Grand  Lodge  (S.  G.  L.)  ; 
so  are  these  obligated  to  pay  the  strictest  obedience  to  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  United  States. 

(c).  The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  (G.  L.  U.  £.).*— 
"The  highest  authority  and  judicatory  of  the  order.  It  'pos- 
sesses original  and  exclusive  jurisdiction,'  and  is  the  source  of  all 
true  and  legitimate  authority  in  Oddfellowship  in  the  United  States 
of  America. "  It  is  the  ultimate  tribunal  to  which  all  matters  of 
general  importance  to  the  State,  District  and  Territorial  Grand 
Lodges  and  Encampments  are  to  be  referred,  and  "its  decisions 
thereon  shall  be  final  and  conclusive."  "  To  it  belongs  the  power 
to  control  and  regulate  the  work  of  the  order,  and  the  several 
degrees  belonging  thereto,  and  to  fix  and  determine  the  cu?tomg 
and  usages  in  regard  to  all  things  which  pertain  to  Oddfellowship. 
It  has  inherent  power  to  establish  lodges  or  encampments  in  for- 
eign countries  where  no  Grand  Lodge  or  Grand  Encampment 
exists."  "It  supplies  the  A.  T.  P.  W.  (the  yearly  traveling 
pass-word)  to  all  grand  bodies  in  its  jurisdiction"  (Manual,  p. 
441  ff.;  Digest,  p.  159).  It  consists  of  the  representatives  of  all 
the  State  Grand  Lodges  and  its  own  officers.  The  officers  are  : 
"The  Most  Worthy  Grand  Sire,  Right  W.  Deputy  Grand  Sire, 
R.  W.  Grand  Corresponding  and  Recording  Secretary,  and  R.  W. 
Grand  Treasurer,"  who  are  chosen  biennially.  To  these  are  added 
a  number  of  "right  worthy"  officers  appointed  by  the  "Most 
Worthy  Grand  Sire,"  among  which  a  "Grand  Chaplain"  and  a 
"  Grand  Guardian  "  dare  not  be  wanting.  The  representatives 
are  elected  by  the  State  Grand  Lodges  and  Grand  Encampments, 
not  by  the  members  of  the  subordinate  lodges.  For  every  1000 
members  which  a  State  Grand  Lodge  has  in  its  subordinate  lodged, 
the  G.  L.  U.  S.  allows  one  vote  or  representative ;  but  hot  witb- 

*  It  "was  incorporated  as  such  in  the  year  1841,  by  the  Legislature  of 
Maryland.  Pocket  Comp.,  p.  210. 


i35 

Ottfc  payment  and  gratis.  Fo**  every  representative  the  State 
Grand  Ledge  has  to  pay  annually  seventy-five  dollars  in  cash, 
without  reckoning  the  other  contributions.  A  State  Lodge  can- 
not send  more  than  two  representatives.  In  order  to  be  qualified 
to  become  a  so-called  Grand  Representative,  much  is  required  ;  he 
must  not  only  have  been  a  Noble  Grand,  have  received  all  the 
lodge  and  encampment  degrees,  but  must  also  have  been  Grand 
Master  of  a  State  Grand  Lodge  *  ;  all  others  are  not  yet  suffi- 
ciently enlightened  by  the  great  light  of  the  lodge  to  fill  such  an 
office. 

This  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  assembles  annually, 
and  governs  with  sovereign  power,  not  only  in  the  United  States, 
but  also  in  Canada,  Australia,  South  America,  Germany,  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  West  Indies,  and  who  knows  where  all  else. 
To  be  sure,  up  to  present  date  it  only  governs  the  lodges  and 
encampments  in  those  countries ;  but  certainly  we  will  not  miss 
the  mark  by  assuming  that  they,  like  the  Jesuits,  are  hoping 
for  better  times.  Should  some  State  Grand  Lodge  presume  not 
to  obey  it  at  a  word,  it  would  immediately  be  suspended  and  its 
property  confiscated  by  the  G.  L.  U.  S.  (Digest,  p.  159). 

The  Apostle  Paul  admonishes  us  :  "Be  not  ye  the  servants  of 
men."  Every  Odd  Fellow  delivers  himself  to  a  triple  bondage  to 
men,  without  reckoning  his  bondage  to  the  Prince  of  Darkness  < 
in  the  first  place,  he  is  the  slave  of  his  Noble  Grand  ;  secondly, 
slave  of  his  Grand  Lodge ;  and  thirdly,  slave  of  the  G.  L.  U.  S. 
And  this  bondage  is  so  great  that,  for  instance,  even  his  freedom 
of  speech  is  taken  from  him,  and  he  suffers  himself  quietly  to  be 

*  See  Man.,  p.  443,  In  Digest,  p.  193,  474,  it  is  not  demanded  from  a 
Grand  Representative  that  he  must  have  been  Grand  Master  of  a  State 
Grand  Lodge.  This  contradiction  is  perhaps  explained  by  the  fact  that  the 
law  book  holds  more  to  theory,  the  Manual,  however,  more  to  the  practice. 
It  is  a  general  custom  to  elect  none  but  Past  Grand  Masters  of  the  State 
Grand  Lodges  as  Grand  Representatives. 


136 

robbed  of  it.  In  the  "standing  resolutions  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Wisconsin"  it  is  said,  for  example  (§5)  :  "The  officers  and 
members  of  the  subordinate  lodges,  which  work  under  the  juris- 
diction of  this  Grand  Lodge,  are  and  shall  be  hereby  admonished, 
not  to  engage  in  any  controversy  through  the  public  press,  nor  to 
publish  an}^ thing  in  connection  with  the  order  in  the  form  of 
reports  or  speeches,  without  special  permission  from  this  Grand 
Loc'ge."  And  every  member  of  the  lodge  willingly  submits  to 
this.  They  are  enchained,  by  all  manner  of  trickery,  in  iron 
chains  and  bonds,  and  submit  to  it  all.  And  indeed  it  requires 
much  before  lodge  members  gain  courage  enough  to  let  all  their 
money  arid  other  lodge  property  go,  in  order  to  free  themselves 
from  these  bonds  and  this  servitude.  It  does  not  occur  very  fre- 
quently that  members  withdraw,  but  it  is  one  of  the  greatest  rari- 
ties that  one  leaves  them  on  account  of  their  blasphemous  and 
pernicious  doctrines. 


(B) — THE  ENCAMPMENT. 

The  Encampment  Branch,  or  the  "  Patriarchal  Branch,"  is 
usually  held  in  higher  estimation  than  the  lodge,  and  that  of 
right,  because  the  light  of  the  lodge  shines  in  this  considerably 
brighter.  "Sublime  degrees,"  "higher instructions"  are  imparted 
therein.  "  The  lodge  is  of  the  civic  type;  the  Encampment  is  of 
the  military,  but  patriarchal,  and  therefore  pastoral"  (Manual, 
p.  354  ff.).  "Though  teaching  peaceful  lessons,  the  Encampment 
assumes  military  forms" .  (p,  360). 

(a)  Subordinate  Encampment.  —  If  a  member  of  the  lodge 
has  received  the  five  degrees,  and  is  in  "good  standing,"  that  is, 
if  he  has  paid  all  dues  of  the  lodge  and  there  is  no  charge  against 
him,  he  can  become  a  member  of  an  Encampment,  but  not  without 
paying  at  least  twelve  to  twenty  dollars  entrance  fee.  He  must, 
however,  continue  to  be  a  member  of  the  lodge,  in  "good  stand- 


137 

ing,"  so  long  as  he  wishes  to  remain  a  member  of  the  Encamp- 
ment. As  such,  he  must  of  course  pay  double,  namely,  to  the 
Lodge  and  to  the  Encampment. 

The  Encampment  has  its  own  constitution.  The  members  meet 
usually  every  two  weeks,  and  owe  obedience  to  the  State  G-rand 
Encampment.  In  case  of  disobedience,  the  Subordinate  Encamp- 
ment is  suspended  or  excommunicated,  and  all  the  property,  books, 
funds,  &c.,  are  confiscated  by  the  Grand  Encampment  of  the 
State ;  *  indeed  it  can  do  so  without  previously  instituting  an 
investigation. 

In  a  place  where  no  Encampment  exists,  seven  patriarchs  (mem- 
bers of  an  Encampment),  who  have  received  the  three  "sublime 
degrees'*  of  the  Encampment,  by  sending  the  necessary  fee,  can 
apply  for  a  charter  from  the  Grrand  Encampment  of  the  State,  or, 
if  none  such  exists,  to  the  G-rand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  ;  and, 
if  granted,  a  new  Encampment  is  organized,  with  all  the  prescribed 
ceremonies. t  The  officers  of  an  Encampment,  to  be  elected,  are: 
a  Chiof  Patriarch,  a  High  Priest,  a  Senior  Warden,  a  Scribe,  a 
Treasurer,  a  Junior  Warden  :  to  these  are  added  a  host  of 
appointed  officers,  as  "  Watches,"  "Sentinels,"  &c. 

(6).  Grand  Encampment. — When  no  Grand  Encampment  is 
in  existence  in  a  State,  five  Subordinate  Encampments,  if  they 
have  seven  Past  Chief  Patriarchs  and  send  the  Grrand  Lodge  of 
the  United  States  thirty  dollars,  can  petition  the  same  for  a 
charter,  and  when  this  is  granted,  can  establish  a  new  Grand 
Encampment,  with  all  manner  of  pomp  (See  Digest,  p.  148  ff. ). 
T!»o  same  consists  of  all  the  past  "  Chief  Patriarchs,"  and  in 


*  See  Digest,  p.  154;  Constitution  of  Grand  Encampment  of  Wisconsin, 
Art.  I,  By-Laws,  Art.  II. 

t  We  pass  over  the  buffooneries  of  the  establishment  of  a  new  Encamp, 
merit  and  the  installation  of  the  officers.  With  insignificant  changes,  they 
are  the  same  disgusting  ceremonies,  as  with  the  lodge  and  its  officers. 


138 

some  States  also  of  the  past  "  High  Priests."  It  has  the  juris- 
diction over  all  the  Encampments  of  the  respective  State;  also 
permission,  for  every  thousand  members  of  its  Subordinate  'En- 
campments, to  send  one  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States,  provided  it  has  nob  neglected  to  send,  besides  the 
other  dues,  seventy -five  dollars  for  each  representative. 

The  officers  of  a  Grand  Encampment,  to  be  elected,  are :  "  Most 
Worthy  Grand  Patriarch,''  "  M.  E.  Grand  High  Priest,  R.  W. 
Grand  Senior  Warden,  R.  W.  Grand  Junior  Warden,  R-.  W. 
Grand  Scribe,"  &c.,  in  addition  to  which  a  number  of  "  R.  W. 
Grand  Officers"  are  appointed,  among  which  the  "  Watches  "  are 
never  missing.  The  Grand  Encampments*  meet  annually  or  semi- 
annually  (in  case  no  extra  sessioa  is  called  together  by  the  "  M.  W. 
Patriarch"),  usually  at  the  same  time  and  place  with  the  State 
Grand  Lodge. 

There  is  no  separate  Grand  Encampment  of  the  United  States  ; 
it  is  combined  with  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  State:,  which 
includes  all  the  lodges  and  encampments.  For  this  reason/all  the 
representatives  to  the  same  must  have  taken  all  the  degrees  of  the 
encampments.  The  State  Grand  Encampments  are  all  responsible 
to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  and  should  any  Grand 
Encampment  desire  to  set  up  its  own  authority,  arid  not  obediently 
to  bend  its  neck  under  the  iron  yoke  of  the  G.  L.  U.  S.,  it  would 
immediately  be  suspended  or  expelled,  and  all  its  property  confis- 
cated, (Digest,  p.  159;  Constitution  of  the  G.  Lodge  D.  S., 
Art.  1,  3.) 


*  To  avoid  conflict  between  the  State  Grand  Lodge  and  the  State  Grand 
Encampment,  the  latter  is  subordinate  to  the  State  Grand  Lodge. 


189 


2.— HOW  THE  LODGES  AEE  BOUND  TOGETHER  BY  LAWS. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States  is  the  soul  and  main 
spring  of  the  entire  order;  all  the  power  and  might  rests  in  its 
hands.  When  it  speaks;  it  is  done  ;  when  it  commands,  every 
one  must  obey.  It  is  provided  by  law,  that,  like  as  in  the  Order 
of  Jesuits,  everything  acts  upon  the  other,  as  the  wheels  in  a 
machine;  all  parts  are  joined  together,  as  links  in  a  chain. 
Without. its  will,  no  one  can,  to  use  this  expression,  move  hand 
or  foot.  It  has  its  own  Constitution  and  By-Laws,*  and  accord- 
ing to  these  every  State  Grand  Lodge  and  Encampment  must 
accommodate  itself.  No  lodge  can  pass  a  resolution  or  law,  which 
does  not  coincide  in  spirit  with  the  same.  The  strictest  and  most 
punctual  obedience  is  required  of  the  State  Grand  Lodges,  and 
these  are  admonished  to  hold  all  subordinate  lodges  to  strict  obe- 
dience in  every  respect  (By-Laws  of  the  G.  L.  U.,  Art.  XX). 
No  State  Grand  Lodge  dare  undertake  to  alter  the  "  written  "  or 
the  "-unwritten"  or  "  secret  work,"  neither  "sign"  nor  "grip/* 
neither  "  pass  word "  nor  anything  else.  This  power  is  vested 
only  in  the  G.  L.  U.  S.  (See  Constitution,  Art.  I).  Every  State 
Grand  Lodge  must  hand  in  annually  a  correct  report,  wherein,  for 
instance,  the  number  of  members,  of  those  newly  admitted,  of  the 
suspended,  of  the  excommunicated,  the  receipts  and  the  expendi- 
tures, &c.-,  must  be  stated  ;  so  that  at  any  hour  it  is  able  to  tell 
rh«»  strength  of  the  entire  order.  In  short,  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  United  States  has  all  the  State  Grand  Lodges  and  Grand 
Encampments,  with  the  great  train  of  subordinate  lodges  and 
encampments,  in  tow,  and  leads  them  whither  it  pleases.  It  is 
the  head  of  the  great  monster,  and  the  tail  follows  willingly  after. 


*  Both  are  to  be  found  in  the  book  :  "  Digest  of  the  R,  W%  Grand  Lodge 
of  the  United  States  I.  0.  0,  F.  1871."  To  be  had  of  G,  Secretary  James 
L.  Kidgely,  Baltimore,  Md,  Price,  $2.50;  with  postage,  $3, 


140 

Without  questioning,  the  blinded  troop  follows  through  thick  and 
tliin,  and  in  return  has  the  pleasure  to  make  weekly,  monthly, 
quarterly,  semi-annual,  annual  and  casual  payments,  of  which 
they  and  their  families  do  not,  on  an  average,  receive  the  third 
r»;irt  back.  The  ''Grand  Sire"  reigns*  like  a  king,  and,  in  his 
way,  has  a  great  deal  more  power  than  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  According  to  the  Constitution  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
United  States,  the  State  Grand  Lodges  can  draw  up  their  own 
constitution,  which,  of  course,  dare  contain  nothing  which  would 
smell  of  anything  like  opposition  ;  neither  has  it  validity  until  it 
has  been  approved  and  sanctioned  by  the  G.  L.  U.  S. 

Almost  the  same  relation  exists  between  the  subordinate  lodges 
and  the  State  Grand  Lodges,  as  between  the  latter  and  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  United  States,  with  this  difference,  that  the  subor- 
dinate lodges  are  still  more  gagged.  These  do  not  enjoy  the  right 
to  draft  their  own  constitution  ;  the  State  Grand  Lodge  has  drafted 
one  for  them,  which  they  have  simply  to  accept  and  to  obey.  It 
has  only  the  right  to  make  some  by-laws  suitable  to  its  own  cir- 
cumstances, which  must,  of  course,  be  in  unison  with  the  consti- 
tution, and  are  in  many  cases  examined  by  the  State  Grand  Lodge 
before  they  become  valid.  But  every  subordinate  lodge  has  the 
privilege  and  the  sacred  duty  to  pay  truly  and  honestly. 

The  entire  form  of  government  of  the  order  is  thoroughly  des- 
potic ;  indeed  so  much  so,  that  the  government  of  Russia  seems 
liberal  in  comparison  with  it.  The  members  of  the  subordinate 
lodges  have,  strictly  taken,  no  real  but  only  some  apparent  rights ; 
yet,  instead  of  them,  a  great  many  duties.  They  dare  not  send 
the  representatives  whom  they  like  to  the  State  Grand  Lodge, 
but  only  such  persons  as  the  Grand  Lodge  has  proposed  to  them, 
and  those  are  the  members  of  the  lodge  who  have  been  Noble 
Grands.  No  member  of  a  subordinate  lodge  can  take  part  in  the 
election  of  representatives  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United 
States ;  they  are  much  too  low  to  do  this ;  these  are  elected  by  tn§ 


141 

State  Grand  Lodges  and  Encampments  (Digest,  p.  189).  What 
would  our  American  people  say  if  members  of  Congress  to  be 
elected  were  in  every  case  nominated  by  Congress  in  Washington, 
and  the  people  could  elect  none  other  than  these?  Or  if  Congress 
should  appoint  a  tribunal,  which  always  elected  the  representatives 
of  the  people?  Would  this  deserve  the  name  of  an  election  of  the 
people  ?  Would  the  people  submit  to  such  a  thing  ?  The  Odd 
Fellows  put  up  with  all  this,  indeed  sustain  it  with  their  money 
and  by  word. 

Indeed,  this  order  is  a  fearful  power,  a  power  of  darkness. 
Here  in  the  United  States  it  numbers  400,000  adherents,  all 
blindly  obeying,  and  so  soon  as  any  one  will  not  do  so,  he  is 
expelled.  Considering  its  pernicious  doctrines,  its  shameful  im- 
morality, which,  for  example,  approves  of,  protects  and  furthers 
perjury,  it  is  inconceivable  how  a  State  can  suffer  such  a  commu- 
nity to  exist  in  its  midst,  which,  besides,  holds  all  its  sessions  with 
closed  doors.  Least  of  all  can  it  be  understood  how  the  Prussian 
government  could  grant  such  a  society  admission  into  its  borders, 
and  could  revoke  or  elude  the  law  of  1798,  which  forbids  all  secret 
societies  standing  in  connection  with  foreign  countries.*  This 
may  in  a  measure  be  explained  by  assuming  that  the  respective 
gentlemen  did  not  grant  the  Prussian  government  a  complete  and 
correct  insight  into  their  doctrine,  form  of  government  and  morala, 
but,  as  always,  only  communicated  so  much  as  they  found  to  serve 
their  purposes.  It  is  a  melancholy  fact,  that  Protestant  govern- 
ments  for  the  last  twenty  years  have  more  and  more,  directly  or 
indirectly,  favored  societies  with  pernicious  tendencies,  as,  for 
example,  the  order  of  Jesuits.  We  are  the  more  astonished  that 
Prussia  favors  this  order,  as  history  teaches  how  the  mother  of 
the  Odd  Fellows'  order  (order  of  Free  Mason)  repeatedly  abused 
its  power  to  the  detriment  of  the  State,  as,  for  example,  in  France, 


*  See  "  Odd  Fellow,7'  July,  1871,  p.  50  ff. 


142 

Spain  and  Germany.*  That  the  daughter  of  Freemasonry  will 
do  the  same  as  soon  as  circumstances  are  favorable  and  she  finds 
it  in  her  interest  to  do  so,  we  need  not  doubt.  On  a  small  scale, 
the  United  States  have  already  experienced  this  annually  and 
every  four  years  at  the  elections.  Of  what  other  use  are  the 
blinded  members.  They  have  vowed  "to  devote  their  lives  to 
the  brotherhood,"  to  lend  their  brethren,  "  in  all  circumstances 
of  life,  .  .  .  aid,  counsel  and  protection,"  and  the  needy  brother 
must  not  consider  this  "  as  a  form  merely,  but  as  a  right '?  (Pocket 
Comp.,  p.  13).  The  maxim  of  their  founder,  Wildey,  f  is  impressed 
upon  all  the  members  of  the  order  :  "  Save  the  country  if  possi- 
ble, but  at  any  rate  save  the  order.  "J 


III.— SECRETS. 


The  order  claims  that  its  secrets  are  necessary  for  its  existence. 
This  is  entirely  correct;  for,  having  assumed  the  obligation  to  aid 
and  assist  every  brother  first  and  foremost,  in  "all  the  circum- 


*  it  might  be  interesting  and  timeJy  to  examine  in  how  far  secret  socie- 
ties have  intrigued  during  our  great  civil  war,  and  we  would  most  pressingly 
recommend  this  subject  to  some  one  more  able  than  we,  for  thorough  exami- 
nation. 

f  At  all  events,  the  toast  giyen  by  Wildey,  the  founder  of  American 
Oddfellowship,  at  a  supper  given  in  New  York  (1859)  on  occasion  of  the 
fortieth  anniversary  of  the  existence  of  the  order  in  America,  which  we 
find  in  "  Heart  and  Hand7'  of  Jan.  6th,  1872,  is  very  characteristic  of  him-, 
it  is  as  follows  :  u  May  the  enemies  of  Oddfellowslup  be  rammed,  damned 
and  jammed  into  a  seventy-four-pounder  and  bio  wed  out  of  the  touchhole." 
Notwithstanding  such  a  horrible  toast,  which  would  not  even  become  a 
New  Zealand  cannibal,  the  above  paper  asserts  that  Wildey  during  his 
whole  life  was  ever  endowed  with  the  greatest  reverence  and  esteem  for 
religion.  What  kind  of  a  religion  might  that  be  ? 

J  See  Proceedings  of  the  K.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of  Wisconsin,  1858,  p.  1228. 


143 

stances  in  life  in  which  a  brother  may  be  placed, "  whether  I  am 
personally  acquainted  with  him  or  not,  I  must,  of  course,  possess 
a  secret  countersign  whereby  I  can  recognize  him  as  an  Odd  Fel- 
low. It  is  also  necessary  that  I  receive  practical  instruction  in 
the  manner  of  rendering  aid,  and  that  I  exercise  myself  in  the 
"  grips,"  "  signals  of  distress,"  &c.,  both  in  order  to  be  continu- 
ally ready  to  aid,  as  also  to  make  myself  known  when  I  require 
aid  and  assistance.  And,  that  the  brethren  do  not  perhaps  aid  a 
brother  according  to  their  own  will  and  pleasure,  but  that  he  "in 
all  circumstances  of  life  "  shall  receive  real  aid,  it  is  necessary  that 
"solemn  promises"  and  oaths  should  be  taken  in  secret. 

The  secrets  of  the  order  can  conveniently  be  divided  into  three 


1.— SIGNS  OF  RECOGNITION. 

As  signs  of  recognition,  they  use  a  number  of  pass-words ;  for 
example,  the  "  evening  word,7'  "the  Vice  Grand's  pass-word," 
"term  pass-word."  He  alone  who  has  the  respective  pass-word 
and  can  give  the  necessary  "  explanation"  to  it,  is  admitted  into 
the  lodge,  and,  that  none  other  may  enter,  the  outside  "Sentinel 
with  the  sword"  must  watch.  Concerning  this  Sentinel  the 
Pocket  Companion  says  (p.  165) :  "  He  should  be  a  man  of  nerve, 
too, — one  who  would  not  for  a  moment  hesitate  to  eject  forcibly, 
if  requisite,  any  person  who  might  presume  to  deceive,  or  intrude 
upon,  the  lodge. " 

These  "  sacred  "  places  are  not  for  "listeners  and  thieves," 
"profane"  and  "  unclean. " 

In  order  that  brethren  on  a  journey  may  not  be  incommoded, 
they  have  also  a  "traveling  pass-word,"  "annual  pass- word,"  &c. 

"Grips"  and  "signs"  belong  also  to  the  signs  of  recognition; 
all  manner  of  signs  with  the  hands  and  fingers,  in  order  either  to 
make  one's  self  known  to  the  brethren,  to  implore  help,  or  to  warn 


144 

a  brother;  all  manner  of  grips  when  shaking  hands.  All  these 
signs  of  recognition  are  frequently  changed,  in  order,  if  possible, 
to  prevent  the  "  profane"  from  becoming  acquainted  with  them; 
should  this  once  happen,  it  would  cause  a  large  expenditure  of 
money,  as  new  pass-words  must  be  given  out,  which  the  order 
much  prefers  to  deliver  verbally  by  means  of  traveling  officers.* 


2.— THE  CONFERRING  OF  DEGREES. 

This  is  done  in  secret,  and  great  care  is  taken  that  outsiders 
learn  nothing  about  it.  The  lodges  have  five  degrees,  of  which 
the  second  and  fourth  are  of  American  invention,  and  the  encamp- 
ments have  three ;  therefore  eight  in  all.  Besides  these,  there  are 
officers'  degrees,  which,  however,  are  considered  as  of  secondary 
value. 

Their  books,  containing  the  doctrines  of  the  various  degrees, 
the  duties  of  the  members  and  officers,  and  the  introduction  into 
the  degrees  and  offices,  are  never  sold  to  the  "profane,"  so  that 
the  precious  secrets  may  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  world. 
The  books  are  called:  "Charge  Book,  Degree  Book,  Instituting 
and  Installation  Book,  Diagram,  Encampment  Kitual,"  &c.  We 
cannot,  therefore,  make  known  the  real  secrets.  However,  the 
doctrines  being  of  the  most  importance,  and  Rev.  A.  B.  Grrosh, 
author  of  the  Manual,  assuring  us  that  they  communicate  the 
entire  contents  of  their  doctrines,  yea,  their  every  idea,  to  the 
world  ("Odd  Fellow"  of  April,  1871,  p.  244),  and  referring  us 
in  the  June  number  (p.  372),  to  his  Manual,  we  will  give  these, 


*  The  order  has,  however,  a  secret  manner  to  communicate  the  respec- 
tive pass-word  by  writing,  when  it  seems  impossible  to  do  so  by  word  of 
mouth.  It  is  then  written  in  cyphers,  and,  that  the  recipient  may  be  able 
to  decipher  it,  the  "  Key77  is  sent  to  him,  which  is  a  little  book  explaining 
the  use  of  the  cyphers  for  this  purpose. 


145 

and  examine  whether  they  really  have  and  contain  something  of 
worth,  or  whether  they  are  sinful,  ungodly,  anti-christian  and 
diabolical. 

After  a  person  has  been  initiated,  has  promised  obedience,  and 
vowed  to  devote  his  life  to  the  brotherhood,  without  knowing  what 
is  expected  of  him  (which  no  man  can  swear  to  as  long  as  he  has 
a  Christian  conscience  left),  after  he  has  been  frightened  with  all 
manner  of  hocus-pocus,  and  has  seen  the  appropriate  emblems  of 
initiation,  viz.,  a  Skull  and  an  Ax,  he  can  receive  the  first,  or 
White  Degree."  On  this  occasion  he  learns  "the  importance  of 
association  for  philanthropic  purposes  "  (p.  153) ;  that  the  laws  of 
the  lodge  "  extend  the  love  of  self-good  to  the  love  of  mankind  " 
(185);  that  when  the  members  assist  the  "needy  and  suffering" 
of  "the  lodge, "  they  themselves  are  made  better.  They  therefore 
teach  that  the  word  of  God  is  not  true  ;  for  that  teaches  us  that 
first  the  tree  must  become  good,  then  it  can  also  bring  forth  good 
fruit;  the  lodge,  however,  teaches,  first  do  good  works  and  thereby 
be  made  better.  To  introduce  him  into  active  brotherly  love,  that 
he  never  forsake  a  brother  in  distress,  is  the  chief  object  of  this 
degree,  and  he  is  told  that  when  he  is  found  walking  therein,  he 
is,  like  all  "  the  charitable,"  an  "imitator  of  God."  But  they 
do  not  refrain,  even  in  conferring  the  first  degree,  from  hinting, 
in  some  distant  way,  that  he  needs  no  Savior,  by  telling  him  that 
the  "  charitable "  live  "with  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward 
God  and  man."  If  the  poor  man  has  now  "  evinced  a  willingness 
to  enter  into  any  proper  obligation "  (of  course  before  he  knows 
what  it  is),  he  will,  sooner  or  later,  in  the  second,  or  "  Coienant 
Degree,"  have  an  opportunity  "of  forming  a  still  closer  and  more 
precious  covenant  with"  his  "brethren."  With  this  "the  cove- 
nanted friendship"  is  established,  and  the  obligations  of  the  same 
consist,  according  to  page  171  ff,  in  this,  that  we  "consider  eacti 
other  as  friends,  as  brethren  in  soul,  whom  we  would  aid  and  sup- 
port in  affliction  and  persecution,  whom  we  would  rescue  irom 


146 

impending  peril,  .  .  .  the  evil  designs  of  enemies."  He  is  taught 
1  'to  guard  the  loved  one  from  evil,  to  repel  impending  danger, 
and  secure  safety,"  and  "that  every  laudable  effort  should  be  put 
forth  to  save  a  brother  from  the  hand  of  an-  enemy  "  (p.  179). 
They  endeavor,  in  this  degree,  to  turn  the  eye  of  the  " brother'' 
away  from  the  rest  of  mankind  and  to  fix  it  alone  upon  the 
"brethren,"  to  stand  by  them  in  all  relations  of  life,  to  assist  and 
to  save  them ;  whether  right  or  wrong,  these  are  very  secondary 
considerations.  To  aid  his  brethren,  that  is  the  main  point,  and 
he  has  promised  to  do  this.  To  encourage  him  in  the  fulfillment 
of  this  pledge,  he  is  shown,  among  other  things,  the  emblem  of  a 
Bundle  of  Rods,  which  cannot  easily  be  broken  together,  and  the 
Quiver  and  the  Bow,  with  the  admonition  :  "In  peace  prepare  for 
war"  (p.  177).  But,  as  this  cannot  be  done  while  a  man  believes 
in  Christ  and  his  word,  whereby  a  Christian  is  put  under  obliga- 
tion to  serve  all  men,  especially  his  brethren  in  the  faith,  also  in 
this  degree  Christ  as  Redeemer,  as  he  who  must  renew  us  by  his 
spirit  and  give  us  strength  to  do  good,  must  be  set  aside.  There- 
fore the  brother  is  instructed,  in  this  degree,  that  he  is  now  in  a 
covenant,  wherein  "each  brother  can  easily  resist  evil  and  accom- 
plish good"  (p.  177). 

When  the  candidate  has  well  understood  the  first  two  degrees, 
has  come  up  to  his  obligations,  of  course  with  contempt  of  all 
Christianity,  he  can  then  receive  the  third,  or  "  Royal  Blue 
Degree."  On  this  occasion  he  hears  the  comforting  instruction, 
that  they  desire  of  him  not  only  to  aid  and  to  serve  his  brethren, 
but  that  he  must  also  be  ready  to  "  sacrifice"  himself  for  them,  be 
they  known  or  unknown  to  him,  if  they  are  only  "  members  of  the 
great  family  of  Oddfellowship"  (p.  181).  As  a  true  Odd  Fellow, 
he  must  exercise  "genuine  friendship,"  and  "meet  sacrifice  with 
iirm  resolve."  He  is  also  "  specially  instructed,  in  this  degree," 
to  "carefully  and  rigidly  prove  all  who  claim  to  be  brethren.'' 
Confirmed  in  such  resolutions  by  showing  him  the  emblem  of 


147 

power,  Moses'  Rod,  and  that  of  cunning,  the  Serpent,  he  may  for 
the  present  go  on  his  way  and  prove  his  constancy.  But  they  do 
not  fail  to  point  out  to  him  the  way  of  self-righteousness,  as  the 
brethren  of  this  degree  unanimously  declare  :  "  that  if  constant 
in  our  reverence  of  God,  and  in  keeping  his  commandments,"  we 
"shall  behold,  amid  all  the  storms  and  tempests  of  life,  tokens  of 
Divine  approbation,  and  receive  the  visits  of  the  celestial  messen- 
ger, the  Holy  Spirit."  They  suppose,  therefore,  that  they  deserve 
the  approbation  of  God,  notwithstanding  they  reject  his  word 
entirely.  True,  they  do  deserve  the  approbation  of  their  God, 
but  not  that  of  the  living  and  true  God. 

"  A  brother  who  has  studied  well  and  practiced  faithfully  the 
principles  of  the  preceding  degrees,  is  prepared  and  worthy  to 
enter  into  the  obligations  of  the  "  Degree  of  RemembroMce," 
which  is  the  fourth  degree.  This  degree  is  intended  to  help 
him  over  the  boundaries  of  "confessions  of  faith,"  "communi- 
ties" and  "sects."  He  shall,  as  a  genuine  Odd  Fellow,  arrive  at 
the  conviction  that  he  is  far  exalted  above  every  Christian  confes- 
sion of  faith  ;  that  he  stands  high  above  such  barriers,  and  that 
the  word  of  God  therefore  has  no  right,  furthermore,  to  set  him 
such  boundaries  Arid,  as  these  principles  are  so  powerful  to 
banish  "discordant  feelings"  and  "prejudices"  from  earth  and  to 
"make  the  world  a  Paradise,"  they  give  him  a  gentle  hint,  in  this 
degree,  that  he  must  seek  to  spread  them  ;  declare,  among  other 
things,  on  page  196,  that  the  love  of  man  is  even  prerequisite  to 
the  love  of  God,  and  "mankind  is  our  family,  our  country  the 
earth,  our  nation  the  human  race."  To  awaken  in  him  love  for 
the  "work,"  he  is  shown  the  emblem  of  the  Horn  of  Plenty, 
which  will  now  most  assuredly  pour  out  upon  him  the  entire  full- 
ness of  riches,  of  joy  and  of  prosperity,  and  the  emblem  of  con- 
straining justice,  the  Sword,  in  order  to  be  ready  "to  defend  the 
right,  even  (if  need  be)  unto  death  "  (p.  206).  And  so  he  comes 
into  possession  of  the  "many  beauties  and  merits"  of  this  degrees. 


(unn  Y) 


148 

When  the  fourfold  degraded  man  has  made  good  progress  in 
she  "duties  and  labors "  of  the  lodge,  he  can  finally  receive  the 
afth,  or  "  Scarlet  Degree.*  This  is  dedicated  to  truth,  but  by 
no  means  to  the  truth  of  sacred  writ,  but  to  the  truth  of  his  own 
heart's  shrine.  Everything  that  his  own  heart  "  dictates,"  in 
religious  matters,  is  right  and  true  ;  and  this  truth  shall  direct 
him  how  to  act.  This  is  "the  Degree  of  the  Priestly  Order." 
Every  brother  of  this  degree  is  to  "represent"  Aaron,  as  "priest 
and  monarch  of  himself  and  all  around  him";  "as  such,  he  is 
an  example  in  speech  and  action,  blessing  and  purifying  others" 
The  lodge  expects  of  every  one  who  has  received  this  degree,  that 
lie  "understand  and  preserve  inviolate"  its  ''mysteries,  and  to 
observe  that  his  brethren  do  the  same " ;  the  more  so,  because 
now  "  all  stations  of  the  lodge"  are  open  to  him,  and  he  can  enter 
as  one  who  "  is  enabled  to  speak  as  by  authority."  Therefore  he 
is  also  charged  :  "  Correct  the  errors  and  confirm  the  faith  of 
your  brethren  ;  it  is  your  office,  your  right,  your  duty."  He 
must  "strive  to  hasten  the  period  when  every  man  shall  be  ...  a 
priest,"  and  shall  assure  the  brethren  "that  God  is  our  Father, 
and  will  make  us  the  sharers  of  His  immortality  and  eternal  life  " 
(Compare  p.  210-22^.. 

After  the  poor  man  has  now  been  caught  in  the  net  of  the 
lodge,  and  by  degrees  has  learned  to  love  its  doctrine,  that  the 
old  Adam  loves  so  well,  and  has  received  the  five  degrees  and 
paid  for  them  his  hard-earned  money  (for  every  degree  costs 
its  "sum,"  usually  two  dollars),  he  will  "naturally  desire  to 
advance  further"  (p.  355),  in  order  to  receive  the  three  "sub- 
lime" degrees  of  the  encampment,  "with  their  rich  stores  of 
instruction."  "  Every  Odd  Fellow  should  make  it  his  aim  to 
reach  the  topmost  round  of  the  ladder  of  Oddfellowship,  the 


*  When  a  dispensation  IB  granted  by  the  Grand  Master,  all  the 
degrees  can  be  conferred  at  once. 


149 

Royal  Purple  Degree "  (Pocket  Comp.,  p.  197),  so  that  the 
encampment  may  also  receive  from  him  the  handsome  sums  of 
entrance  fee  and  the  monthly,  yearly  and  other  contributions,  and 
can  give  him  further  light.  If  the  poor  and  egregiously  deluded 
man  resolves  to  take  this  degree,  he  must  apply  for  it  in  writing, 
enclosing  the  initiation  fee  (twelve  to  twenty  dollars),  and  can 
then,  if  chosen  by  ballot,  receive  the  first  encampment  degree,  the 
Patriarchal.  On  this  occasion  he  is  instructed,  that  virtue  is 
above  all  things  ;  and  that  it  is  his  duty  particularly  to  exercise 
hospitality  to  the  brother  patriarchs,  and  that  these  "  especially  " 
must  receive  his  "sympathy"  and  "aid."  Those  who  obligate 
themselves  to  do  so  are  admonished:  "If  ye  know  these  things, 
happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them."  To  strengthen  him  in  his  purpose, 
three  pillars  are  shown  him,  with  the  explanation  that  these  are 
the  Wisdom,  Strength  and  Beauty  of  Religion,  and  the  supports 
and  ornaments  of  our  Temple  of  Universal  Brotherhood"  (Com- 
pare Manual,  p.  365-373).  If  the  "patriarch"  now  practices 
all  the  virtues,  well  enough  ;  but  this  does  not  saffice.  He  lacks 
yet  the  greatest  light  and  the  deepest  mystery  ;  this  shall  now  be 
imparted  and  revealed  to  him  in  the  "Golden  Rule  Degree."  And 
what  is  now  the  greatest  light  of  the  order,  that  the  candidate,  at 
his  initiation  into  this  degree,  receives  V  It  shines  forth  from  the 
following  declarations:  "Confessions  of  faith"  are  "differences 
of  opinion."  "In  our  Tents  no  sectarian  or  national  distinctions 
are  recognized."  "  Followers  of  different  Teachers,  —ye  are  wor- 
shipers of  One  God,  who  is  Father  of  all,  and  therefore  ye  are 
brethren"!  "The  descendants  of  Abraham,  the  diverse  followers 
of  Jesus,  the  Patriarchs  of  the  stricter  sects  (these  are  Heathen 
in  the  East  Indies.  The  Author.),  here  gather  around  the  same 
altar,  as  one  family,  manifesting  no  differences  of  creed  or  wor- 
ship." "They  have  left  their  prejudices  at  the  door,  arid  mingle 
in  one  circle  of  brotherhood,  harmony  and  love"  (Man.,  pp.  874- 
388).  "  It  heeds  not  whether  the  man  be  a  ...  Jew 


150 

(Pocket  Comp.,  p.  306).  "  Jew  or  Gentile,  Catholic  or  Protestant, 
is,  as  such,  welcome  to  our  lodges  and  our  hearts"  (Pocket  Cornp., 
,p.  307).  We  unite  with  every  man  "  in  practising  those  great 
precepts  which  belong  to  ail  religions"  (Manual,  p.  384).  *'  The 
authority  of  conscience,  in  religion,  must  be  paramount"  (Manual, 
p.  376)  And,  as  these  principles  are  so  infinitely  weighty  and 
necessary  for  the  improvement  of  the  human  race,  ''let  us,  then, 
not  cease  its  practice,  while  we  urge  the  reasons  for  our  faith. 
On  it  let  us  all  unite  in  furthering  the  mission  of  Oddfellowship  n 
(Manual,  p.  384).  We  will  therefore  seriously  endeavor  to  con- 
vert to  our  faith  all  "  who  bow  not  at  our  altar"  (p.  386). 

With  these  declarations  the  order  has  proclaimed  its  mongrel 
religion,  that  is,  a  heathen  religion,  which  eyery  Jew,  Gentile, 
Chinese,  African  and  Hottentot  has  by  nature.  Christ,  with  his 
work  of  redemption,  is  made  perfectly  superfluous  ;  instead  of  tne 
word  of  God,  the  perverted  conscience,  estranged  from  God,  is  set 
up  as  the  rule  and  standard  of  religion.  If,  perhaps,  until  then, 
the  lodge  member  has  yet  been  loosely  connected  with  Chris- 
tianity, this  connection  ceases  entirely  so  soon  as  he  has  received 
this  degree  and  believes  this  doctrine.  Heathenish  doctrine  is 
restored,  in  its  plainest  and  most  marked  form  ;  Christ  is  denied, 
and  placed  on  the  same  footing  with  Confucius,  Budda  and  Zoro- 
aster,* and  man,  estranged  from  Christ  and  his  word,  pointed  to 
his  own  corrupt  heart  and  conscience,  in  matters  of  religion 


*  This  is  literally  done  in  the  "  Odd  Fellow  »  of  August,  1871,  p.  114, 
where  it  is  said  :  "  Who  were  the  most  renowned  teachers  of  religion  and 
morals  of  the  olden  time  ?  Who  were  the  men  who  first  gave  these  ideas 
a  definite  form  and  delivered  them  as  systematic  moral  principles  to  their 
fellow-men  and  pressed  them  upon  their  acceptance,  just  as  they  are  to-day 
LAID  DOWN  IN  ODDFELLOWSHIP  ?  We  know  five, — Moses,  Budda,  Confu- 
cius, Zoroaster  and  Christ.'7  The  order,  however,  cannot  accomplish  much 
with  Moses  ;  he  can  consequently  be  "left  out  of  consideration^  as  he  is 
loo  strict  in  his  laws 


151 

And  to  this  faith  the  order  will  convert  all ;    that  is  its  mission. 
May  God  have  mercy  ! 

There  is  one  more,  the  last  degree, — the  "Royal  Purple  De- 
gree," which  is  the  symbol  of  rest,  and  in  it  they,  according  to 
their  own  assurances,  enjoy  a  foretaste  "of  the  immortal  glorious 
repose  of  immortality  itself. "  The  candidate  is  received  into  it 
with  music,  and  instructed  that,  as  he  has  now  received  the 
"•full  light "  of  the  "order,"  he  must  also  let  his  light  shine  and 
follow  its  principles.  Then  let*  death  come  ;  he  need  not  fear  it, 
because  these  principles  "alone  can  convert  his  conquest  into  our 
triumph,  even  make  us  more  than  conquerors  over  the  last  enemy  " 
(Manual,  p.  897).  He  can  repose  his  head  on  the  pillow  of  "con- 
tent "  and  come  up  "to  the  land  of  eternal  delight." 

To  the  secrets  of  the  order  must  be  reckoned  also  the  installa- 
tion and  swearing  in  of  the  officers.  What  duties  are  imposed 
upon  them  more  than  is  publicly  made  known,  is  not  communi- 
cated to  the  "profane."  It  is  sufficient  that  we  know  that  they 
all  are  contradictory  to  the  word  of  God. 

Sometimes  these  gentlemen  would  fain  count  their  benefactions, 
inside  and  outside  of  the  order,  among  their  secrets ;  but  we  can- 
not suffer  them  to  do  so,  as  the  so-called  benefactions  within 
the  order  are  annually  published  in  many  reports.  And  what  is 
here  and  there  done  outside  of  the  order,  they  generally  take  good 
care  to  make  known  to  the  world  in  some  form  or  other.  A  society 
of  Odd  Fellow  ladies  in  Washington,  D.  C,,  spent,  for  example,  in 
1870,  $1500  for  benevolent  purposes,  but  much  pains  is  taken  that 
this  is  published  to  the  world  through  the  press,  as,  for  instance, 
in  the  "Odd  Fellow"  of  June,  1861,  page  373.  In  the  Eastern 
States,  a  number  of  lodges  (perhaps  some  two  dozen)  some  time 
ago  collected  money  scarcely  sufficient  to  send  the  widow  of  an 
Odd  Fellow,  with  some  children,  to  Germany,  and  a  number  of 
papers  extolled  them  in  the  most  extravagant  terms.  Those 
who  do  not  recognize  the  word  of  God  in  general,  will  pay  no 


152 

regard  to  the  words  in  Matt.  6  :  1-3,  much  less  will  they  act  up 
to  them. 

Since  1851,  the  order  has  seen  fit  to  admit  "  ladies  "  into  the 
lodge,  and  to  establish  the  "  Rebecca  Degree."  The  wives  of 
Odd  Fellows,  who  have  taken  the  five  degrees,  can  he  admitted, 
and  are  then  called  "  The  daughters  or  Sisters  of  Rebecca/' 
The  establishment  of  this  "degree"  is  certainly  of  advantage  to 
the  order,  as  the  unbelieving  women  of  our  land,  in  politics,  anti- 
chrisfcian  agitations  and  the  practice  of  abortions,  form  a  power 
by  no  means  to  be  despised.  Besides,  the  lodge  brothers  would 
miss  an  immense  intellectual  advantage,  if  their  better  halves  did 
not  belong  to  the  lodge ;  for  they  sing  :  "  The  purest  light  will 
shine  around  us,  when  woman's  goodness  beams  on  us"  ('-Odd 
Fellow"  of  Nov.,  1870,  p.  697;  Feb.,  1871,  p.  116).  What  a 
terribly  impure  and  foul  light  must  accordingly  < 'shine  around " 
them  when  "woman's  perfection"  does  not  beam  on  them  !  They 
have,  however,  found  it  advisable,  up  to  this  present  time,  to  leave 
the  women  in  the  ante-chamber,  and  to  communicate  to  them  only 
a  very  small  part  of  the  precious  secrets,  as  they  only  receive  one 
degree,  while  men,  beside  the  officers'  degrees,  can  attain  to  eight 
degrees.  Indeed,  up  to  this  date,  they  are  not  even  allowed  to 
elect  from  among  them  a  Mistress  of  the  Chair.  Those  who 
claim  for  women  the  ballot  are  therefore  still  far  from  having 
attained  the  "equality  of  all  races."  The  whole  farce  is,  until 
now,  only  a  mockery  of  women's  right  to  vote. 


3.— OATHS. 

All  the  obligations  of  the  order  are  taken  under  oath,  or 
promises  that  have  the  force  of  an  oath.  Every  member  must^ 
at  his  initiation,  promise,  by  oath  :  to  obey  the  lodge  and  its 
laws,  to  devote  his  life  to  the  brotherhood,  and  to  observe  the 
strictest  silence  in  respect  to  the  '•  secret  work"  of  the  order. 


153 

As  we  have  already  shown,  all  the  officers  must  swear  also,  in 
assuming  their  obligations.  To  be  sure,  the  Manual  (p.  74) 
falsely  declares:  "We  are  not,  therefore,  an  oath-bound  institu- 
tion, nor  are  our  obligations  oaths.''  But,  that  their  obligations 
really  are  oaths,  the  Manual  itself  admits  (p.  41 0) :  "  The  receiver 
of  this  degree  [the  Grand  Encampment  Degree]  appeals  to  heaven 
and  earth  to  witness  the  fidelity  with  which  he  will  represent  the 
interests  of  his  subordinates,  and  at  the  same  time  faithfully  pre- 
serve the  secrets,  advance  the  interests,  and  promote  the  welfare 
of  his  Grand  Encampment."  That  to  "  appeal  unto  Heaven  and 
Earth'7  is  swearing,  we  learn  from  Matthew  5  :  34,  35.  There- 
fore the  assumed  obligations  are  never  considered  and  treated 
otherwise  than  as  taken  en  oath.  In  the  "Odd  Fellow"  of  July, 
1870,  p.  534,  it  is  said  of  the  members  of  secret  societies  :  "  By 
the  oath  which  unites  them  ....  a  power  over  the  individual  is 
exercised,  which  no  one  can  understand,  who  has  not  personally 
felt  its  influence."  From  page  697,  of  November,  1870,  and 
page  54,  of  January,  1871,  we  learn  that  at  the  initiation  of  the 
Sisters  of  Rebecca,  they  are  charged,  in  song  :  "  Swear  by  active 
silence, — swear  in  the  fullness  of  the  spirit."  But,  what  oaths 
are  sworn  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  behind  the  "Sentinels  with 
the  Sword,"  we  cannot  even  guess  at,  as  no  more  of  them  is  pub- 
lished than  what  the  lodge  thinks  fit.* 


*  As  regards  the  oaths,  it  is  a  matter  of  fact,  that  the  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows have  done  away  with  and  moderated  the  dreadful  and  repulsive  forms 
which  were  until  lately  in  use  in  the  Order  of  Free  Masons.  But  the  oath 
they  have  retained,  even  if  it  is  not  always  sworn  by  the  "  living  God.';  In 
the  Free  Masons7  oath  the  following  passage  occurs :  "I  vow  and  swear 
hereby,  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God,  that  I  will  never  reveal  the  secrets 
....  All  this  under  no  less  punishment,  than  that  niy  throat  shall  be  cut, 
my  tongue  rent  from  the  root  of  my  mouth,  my  heart  torn  out  from  under 
my  left  breast,  .  .  .  my  body  burned  to  ashes,  and  my  ashes  scattered  over 
the  surface  of  the  earth. "  See  Constitution  of  the  Free  Masons,  of  1723,  and 
Hengstenber"g7s  u  Freemasonry  and  the  Evangelical  Ministry,"  p.  47  ff. 


154 

We  mus^  further  count  among  the  secrets,  the  obligation  to 
silence  toward  members  of  the  lodge  themselves,  or  the  secrets  ot 
the  members  among  each  other.  No  one  who,  for  example,  has 
taken  the  fifth  degree,  dare  divulge  to  his  "brother"  of  the  fourth 
degree  the  secrets  of  the  fifth  degree  ;  neither  dare  one  who  has 
received  the  fourth  degree,  communicate  its  "secret"  to  his 
brethren  of  the  third  degree.  No  brother  of  a  higher  grade  dare 
reveal  its  secrets  to  those  who  have  not  yet  received  the  respective 
degrees ;  and  so  the  pitiable  mysteriousness  pervades  the  whole 
order,  f  The  brotherly  love  of  the  members  of  the  lodge  does  not 
permit  them  to  communicate  the  "  sublime  doctrines  "  of  the  higher 
degree  to  the  brethren  of  the  subordinate  degrees,  that  they  might 
be  "  made  better  men  , "  No;  it  is  shackled  completely  by  their 
trash  of  secrecies.  And,  should  a  "brother"  be  too  poor  to  pay 
for  the  higher  degrees,  he  cannot  receive  the  "full  light  of  the 
order,"  but  must  eternally  languish  in  the  twilight. 

Butr  for  what  reason  must  the  order  have  "secrets"?  A 
number  of  answers  to  this  question  have,  directly  or  indirectly, 
been  given ;  but  we  will  only  state  one  given  in  the  Odd  Fellow 
of  April,  1871,  page  244,  which  reads  as  follows:  because  "they 
draw  new  members  into  our  lodges"!  The  world  loves  to  be 
fooled,  and  the  lodges  know  this. 


*  Secrets  pervade  the  whole  order.  It  is  impossible  that  one  brother 
can  trust  the  other,  not  knowing  what  secrets  he  has.  During  the  assembly 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  which  holds  all  its  sessions  in 
secret,  they  hold  extra  secret  sessions,  to  which  the  Grand  Sire  admits  only 
some  elect.  These  sessions  are  therefore,  with  the  exception  of  the  few  elec^ 
persons,  secret  to  the  whole  order,  even  to  those  who  have  received  every 
possible  "  degree."  See  "  Heart  and  Handt;;  No.  96,  1872.  In  these  doubly 
secret  sessions  the  plans  are  devised,  for  the  execution  of  which,  so  many 
members,  unknown  to  themselves,  suffer  themselves  to  be  made  use  of. 


155 
IV.— ACTIVITY. 


11  The  first,  business  of  a  lodge  is,  of  course,  to  increase  its 
membership "  (Pocket  Oomp.,  p.  151).  "Wedging"  is  one  of 
the  duties  of  the  lodge  members.  The  subordinate  lodges  are 
called  "  working  lodges,"  chiefly  because  they  have  to  draw 
others  into  the  lodge  by  the  mighty  power  of  persuasion  ;  and 
this  most  of  the  members  do.  They  exert  themselves  in  and 
outside  of  the  beer  saloon,  to  persuade  men  and  induce  them  to 
join  their  lodge.  That  in  this  ''work"  Truth  is  an  entirely  sub- 
ordinate consideration  ;  that  they  work  cunningly,  like  serpents, 
is  a  matter  of  course.  If  they  have  to  deal  with  one  who  is  reli- 
giously inclined,  they  seek  to  convince  him,  by  all  manner  of  lies, 
that  the  lodge  esteems  Christianity  very  highly  ;  that  on  that 
account  it  makes  use  of  the  Bible,  prays  and  sings ;  that  it  is  the 
lodge  that  really  obeys  the  command  of  God,  to  do  good  to  the 
widows  and  orphans,  and  that  tbe  secret  societies  have  been  "the 
conservators  ....  of  religious  .  .  .  truth"  (Manual,  p.  H).  If 
they  have  an  unbeliever  before  them,  he  is  pointed  to  the  great 
advantages  offered  by  the  lodge ;  he  is  told  that  the  dues  are  very 
small,;  but  the  aid  received  is  very  material.  And  in  such  a  case 
they  succeed  more  easily  if  the  person  addressed  has  a  large  family 
and  no  certain  means  of  support ;  but  these  are  not  the  most  sought 
after.* 

Is  this  every  subordinate  lodge's  "first  business,"  "to  increase 
its  membership,"  so  it  is  the  task  of  the  more  influential  members 
to  win  others  of  influence  ar  respectability  to  the  order.  Toward 


*  We  must  also  reckon  among  the  means  of  drawing  persons  into  the 
lodge,  the  visits  to  the  sick,  which  are  chiefly  made  for  this  purpose,  as  is 
plainly'seen  from  their  writings.  See,  for  example,  "  Lodge  Bulletin7'  of 
October,  1871. 


such  the  high  morality  and  glorious  liberality  of  the  order  is 
extolled,  and  how  much  good  they  can  accomplish  through  their 
influence,  if  they  should  unite  with  it.  Great  joy  prevails  every- 
where, if  they  succeed  in  winning  a  prominent  person.  With  no 
small  degree  of  self-esteem,  the  order  boasts  that  very  many  Con- 
gressmen in  Washington  are  members  of  their  order ;  that  even 
the  ex- Vice-President,  Schuyler  Colfax,  is  a  "brother. "  Such 
"brothers"  in  high  standing  must  use  all  the  influence  of  their 
position  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  order.  And  that  "brothers" 
be  elected  to  Congress  and  to  every  possible  office,  every  one  in  the 
lodge,  great  and  small,  looks  to.  Many  people  who  do  not  belong 
to  the  lodge,  neither  are  acquainted  with  the  workings  of  these 
"brethren,"  place  them  in  office  by  their  votes;  of  course,  igno- 
rantly.  Did  all  Christians  know  the  nature  and  principles  of  the 
order,  certainly  no  one  would  vote  for  one  of  its  members.  Nor 
is  it  possible,  that  a  member  of  a  lodge,  who  has  promised,  by 
oath,  firstly  and  above  all  other  things,  "to  seek  the  welfare  of 
the  order  and  the  brethren,"  can  impartially  seek  and  promote  the 
welfare  of  the  entire  country  and  all  classes  of  our  population. 
If,  for  example,  he  be  chosen  as  representative,  he  must  either 
break  his  oath  to  the  lodge  (and  that  scarcely  one  out  of  a  thou- 
sand will  do)  and  impartially  strive  for  the  good  of  all  classes  of 
the  population,  or  he  must  first  "seek  the  good  of  the  order," 
whereby,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the  others  are  more  or  less  at  a 
disadvantage. 

It  would  probably  have  been  very  difficult  for  the  order  to  gain 
entrance  into  Prussia,  had  not  our  former  V ice-President,  Mr. 
Colfax,  brought  to  bear  the  whole  weight  of  his  position  in  favor 
of  the  order.  In  consequence  of  this  influence,  and,  very  likely, 
also  in  consequence  of  Jesuitical  art  of  persuasion,  Baron  v» 
Gerolt,  North  German  Ambassador  in  Washington,  was  favorably 
inclined  to  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  the  Odd  Fellows,  and 
also  "transmitted  to  his  government  a  highly  favorable  report  of 


157 

of  the  Order*'*    ("Odd  Fellow "  of  July,  1871,  p.  51;    Pro- 
ceedings of  the  G.  L.  U.  S.,  1811,  p.  5515  ff.). 

In  seeking,  with  special  preference,  to  win  influential  persons  to 
the  order,  they  do  not,  however,  neglect  to  draw  the  attention  of 
all  classes  upon  themselves.  This  is  accomplished  by  means  of 
pompous  processions,  public  installations  of  the  officers  of  the 
lodge,  and  through  the  press.  The  public  installation  of  their 
officers  is  an  invention  of  modern  times.  Their  object  is  clearly 
expressed  in  "  Heart  and  Hand"  of  October  5th,  1870,  where  it 
says:  *'  They  (the  public  installations)  draw  attention  to  the  order. 
A  lodge  may  exist  in  a  place  for  years,  and  is  known  only  to  its 
members.  A  public  ceremony  has  the  effect  of  bringing  our  fel- 
low-citizens into  our  halls."  For  this  reason,  they  take  great 
pains  to  make  them  very  ostentatious.  The  world  likes  to  be 
fooled. 


*  In  order  to  introduce  Oddfellowship  into  Germany,  after  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  United  States  had  passed  the  respective  resolution  at  its  ses- 
sion in  California,  1869,  Dr.  J.  L.  Morse  was  nominated  as  Special  Deputy 
for  Germany  and  Switzerland,  and  commissioned  to  do  everything  in  his 
power  to  introduce  the  order  mto  those  countries.  .According  to  his  own 
report,  which  he  handed  in  to  the  G.  L.  U.  S.  in  Chicago  in  1871,  he  founded 
on  the  1st  of  December,  1870,  Wurtemburg  Lodge  No.  1,  in  Stuttgart;  on  the 
2d  of  April,  1871,  Germania  Lodge  No.  1,  in  Berlin ;  on  the  23d  of  May, 
Farnsworth  Encampment,  in  the  same  place;  on  the  6th  of  June,  Saxonia 
Lodge  No.  1,  in  Dresden;  and  on  the  1'Jth  of  June,  Helvetia  Lodge  No.  1, 
in  Berne.  He  had  scarcely  left  Germany  when,  already  in  July,  the  second 
lodge,  Borussia  Lodge  No,  2,  was  established  in  Berlin.  (See  Proceedings 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  p.  5007  if.)  On  the  9th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1871,  a  lodge  was  founded  in  Berlin  which  "works"  in  the  English 
language,  for  the  convenience  of  the  American  Odd  Fellows  traveling  in 
Germany.  According  to  the  latest  report  of  the  G.  L,  U,  S,  (of  1873),  there 
are  now  in  existence  in  Germany  and  Switzerland  19  lodges  and  16  encamp- 
ments. Since  the  1st  of  October,  1871,  a  paper  appears  in  Berlin,  edited  by 
Wilh,  Altvater  and  Paul  Juhre,  under  title  "  Heart  and  Hand,"  which  is  in 
the  interest  of  the  order.  (See  "  Heart  and  Hand,"  Jan.  6th,  1672.4 


158 

The  lodge  is  well  acquainted  with,  the  influence  of  the  press,  and 
therefore  exerts  itself  to  make  industrious  use  of  it  for  its  own 
purposes.  The  order  itself  has  a  number  of  periodicals,  about  a 
dozen,  in  which  they  praise  up  to  the  world  their  good  works,  their 
high  morality  and  toleration.  These  papers  are  partly  official, 
partly  edited  and  published  by  prominent  members  of  the  order, 
and  they  still  endeavor  to  increase  their  number.  They  also  take 
pains  to  win  the  entire  press  of  the  country,  as  far  as  possible,  to 
their  side,  and,  wherever  it  is  practicable,  to  bring  an  Odd  Fellow 
into  the  editor's  chair;  and  if  they  do  not  succeed  in  this,  at  least 
to  send,  from  time  to  time,  to  the  most  popular  papers,  articles  for 
publication,  filled  with  glorifications  of  the  order. 

The  order  has  a  regular  system  of  aid  for  cases  of  sickness  and 
death.  Every  one  in  "good  standing,"  who  is  not  indebted  to 
the  lodge,  or  does  not^tand  under  any  charge,  receives,  in  case  of 
sickness,  weekly,  the  appointed  sum  (usually  from  three  to  fifteen 
dollars).  If  his  wife  dies,  he  receives  the  funeral  expenses  (from 
fifteen  to  twenty-five  dollars).  If  a  brother  dies,  his  wife  receives 
double  this  sum.  The  widows  and  orphans  of  the  brothers  are 
not  provided  for  according  to  any  established  rule.  If  an  Odd 
Fellow's  widow  applies  to  the  lodge  for  support,  and  the  committee 
of  investigation  find  her  needy,  they  generally  grant  her  aid.  They 
act  in  a  similar  manner  toward  the  orphans,  for  whom  they  have 
already  founded  a  number  of  orphan  asylums,  with  schools,  and 
are  intending  to  establish  still  more.* 

Lately,  almost  all  the  State  Grand  Lodges  have  instituted  Life- 
insurance  Leagues  for  their  members,  in  such  a  manner  that  at  the 
death  of  a  brother,  every  member  of  this  Life-Insurance  League 


*  The  order  has  also  occupied  itself,  for  the  past  few  years,  with  the 
erection  of  colleges,  in  order  to  obtain  scientifically  educated  members,  from 
whom  they  naturally  expect  very  advantageous  results  to  the  lodges.  Every  * 
thing  like  with  the  Jesuits. 


159 

must  pay  a  fixed  sum  (usually  one  dollar),  and  the  wife  of  the 
deceased  receives  as  many  dollars  as  there  are  members  in  the 
society ;  the  number  of  members  does  not  usually  exceed  2000  to 
3000. 

In  the  large  cities,  where  there  are  several  lodges,  they  have 
begun  to  read  a  list  of  all  the  brothers  that  are  without  employ- 
ment, in  every  meeting  of  the  lodge,  so  that  all  who  have  or  know 
of  employment,  can  be  of  aid  to  them  in  procuring  it.  Besides  all 
this,  the  order  considers  every  member  morally  bound,  where  it  i& 
at  all  possible,  to  employ  brothers,  in  case  he  must  employ  some 
one.  The  Grand  Encampment  of  Wisconsin  resolved,  for  instance, 
in  the  year  1871,  to  allow  no  one  but  a  member  of  the  order  to 
print  the  Report  of  their  Convention,  their  Constitution  and  By- 
Laws.* 

But  all  these  are  secondary  matters,  only  "  means  to  the  end," 
"hardly  a  tithe  of  their  aims  and  objects."  The  chief  aim  is  and 
will  be,  to  ''reform  the  world,"  and  to  "convert  all  men  to  their 
faith."  But  members  do  not  learn  this  before  they  are  themselves 
converted  (or  rather  perverted)  to  the  faith  of  the  order.  When 
that  has  taken  place,  it  is  enjoined  upon  them,  in  the  "  Golden 
Eule  Degree,"  as  their  duty. 

According  to  the  Proceedings  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United 
States,  of  1873,  p.  5671,  the  order  had  385,097  members,  in  5045 
lodges,  and  we  apprehend  that  by  far  the  greater  portion  of  the 
members  are  already  converted  to  its  faith.  The  report  of  the 
Convention  of  the  G.  L.  U.  S.,  of  September,  1873,  states  an. 
increase  of  57,220  members  and  753  lodges,  according  to  page 
5800.  Weeds  grow  apace.  This  is  certainly  an  earnest  admoni- 
tion to  every  Christian  :  Wake  up.  thou  that  sleepest ! 


See  Proceedings  of  the  Grand  Encampment.  1871,  p,  232. 


160 


V.— WHETHER    IT    IS    PROFITABLE    TO   JOIN    THE 

LODGE. 


We  will  not  enter  here  into  the  immeasurable  detriment  to  the 
soul  which  the  acceptance  of  the  lodge's  doctrine  entails,  and 
which  must  be  its  consequence  ;  for  this  cannot  be  calculated, 
neither  according  to  degree  nor  time.  Loss  of  faith  in  Christ 
carries  with  it  everlasting  condemnation.  We  will  only  briefly 
inquire,  how  great  the  material  advantage  or  damage  is,  which 
one  has  in  consequence  of  joining  the  lodge.  This  can  be  calcu- 
lated and  stated  in  dollars  and  cents.  We  deem  this  the  more 
necessary,  as,  alas  !  it  is  by  promises  of  earthly  advantages  that, 
as  we  believe,  most  members  have  been  and  are  daily  gained  for 
the  order. 

"  Christian,"  in  his  conversation  with  "Ernest,"  proves  from 
several  Reports,  that  not  quite  the  third  part  of  the  money  paid 
into  the  lodge  is  expended  for  purposes  of  relief;  yet  this  propor- 
tion, on  the  whole,  is  not  generally  even  reached.  "  Heart  and 
Hand,"  a  paper  "for  Odd  Fellows  and  Daughters  of  Rebecca," 
of  September  2d,  1871,  teaches  us  better.  It  says  :  "  We  notice 
in  an  exchange  the  startling  query  that  the  Odd  Fellows  have  a 
revenue  of  four  millions  annually,  and  that  they  expend  in  relief 
only  one  million  dollars  a  year,  and  '  what  becomes  of  the  other 
three  millions?'  If  a  man  makes  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  a 
year,  and  gives  away  one  or  two  thousand  to  worthy  objects,  he  is 
reckoned  a  liberal-minded,  charitable  gentleman.  And  so  he  is. 
But  the  Odd  Fellows  give  away  one- fourth  of  their  gross  receipts, 
and,  ignoring  this  fact  entirely,  some  dissatisfied,  jealous  growler 
says,  with  as  much  eagerness  as  if  he  contributed  the  whole  of  it, 
1  Where  is  the  rest  of  the  money?'  Well,  we  will  tell.  In  the 
first  place,  one-fourth  of  it  goes  for  the  relief  of  brethren  and 


161 

widows,  burying  the  dead,  and  educating  the  orphan.  In  the 
second  place,  Odd  Fellows  have  to  pay  for  rent,  fuel,  and  service 
done  at  their  meetings,  just  the  same  as  if  they  were  other  human 
beings.  Their  furniture,  regalia,  and  appointments,  not  being  of 
indestructible  material,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  frequently  need 
replacing,  and  people  charge  them  for  the  same,  as  though  they 
Were  ordinary  mortals.  To  run  an  establishment  of  4000  lodges 
requires  rooms,  halls,  &c.,  and  we  generally  have  good  ones. 
Every  one  of  our  325,000  members  and  68,000  officers  must  have 
regalia  appropriate,"  <fec.,  &c.  therefore  the  Odd  Fellow  Lodges 
expend  only,  according  to  their  own  admission,  the  fourth  part  of 
their  income  for  purposes  ot  relief;  almost  three-fourths  of  their 
income  is  swallowed  up  by  officers,  regalia,  lodge-rooms,  furniture, 
traveling  expenses  of  the  officers,  &c.  And  yet  they  boast  a  great 
deal  of  their  charities,  and  imagine  that  if  they  expended  only 
$2000  out  of  every  $100,000  for  purposes  of  relief,  they  should 
justly  be  accounted  "liberal-minded  and  charitable,"  like  the  man 
they  cite.  From  this  it  is  evident,  that  when  a  lodge  member  has 
paid  in  $100,  he  receives,  on  an  average,  $25  back.  On  paying 
$400,  he  may,  as  a  general  thing,  expect  $100.  No  common 
mutual-aid  society  has,  to  this  day,  done  as  badly  as  this.  Then 
must  be  counted  in  the  many  extra  expenses  of  the  members,  as 
for  "wedging,"  for  their  regalia,  with  their  ornaments,  and  so 
forth,  often  amounting  to  a  considerable  sum  annually. 

Whoever,  therefore^  wishes  to  get  rid  of  his  money,  and  to 
inflict  temporal  and  eternal  damage  upon  his  soul,  let  him  unite 
with  the  lodge  !  To  be  sure  the  afore  mentioned  paper  says  that 
the  order  (that  is,  all  the  subordinate  lodges,  all  the  State  Grand 
Lodges  and  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States,  taken  together) 
owns  property  to  the  value  of  twenty  million  dollars.  How  much 
of  this  Bum  the  poox  will  receive,  time  must  determine.  Our  expec- 
tations are  not  very  great.  Judging  by  what  has  hitherto  been 
done  by  the  lodge,  they  do  not  even  receive  the  hundredth  part. 


162 

But,  should  it  really  not  be  profitable  to  join  the  lodge,  as  by 
doing  so  one  receives  more  aid,  can  more  easily  find  employment, 
and  if  one  is  a  mechanic  or  merchant,  gains  many  customers? 
Every  one  may  find  the  answer  to  this  question  from  experience. 
If  you  pay  attention,  you  will  observe  that,  regularly,  out  of  every 
ten  bankrupts,  eight  belong  to  the  Free  Masons  or  Odd  Fellows. 
If  the  promised  mutual  aid  brought  the  hoped-for  earthly 
advantages,  this  rule  would  have  to  be  reversed,  so  that  of  every 
ten  bankrupts  two,  at  the  uttermost,  were  Odd  Fellows  or  Free 
Masons.  But  we  do  not  find  this  to  be  the  case.  Or  is  the  sup- 
position perhaps  correct,  that  they  declare  themselves  bankrupt  in 
order  to  make  money  thereby  ?  This  would  indeed  be  a  fatal  wit- 
ness against  the  highly  extolled  morality  of  the  order. 

That  the  lodge  does  not  afford  aid  from  motives  of  and  accord- 
ing  to  charity,  but  only  where  there  is  a  legal  obligation  to  do  so, 
is  the  natural  consequence  of  its  doctrines;  and  experience,  as 
well  as  the  official  1-3 ports  of  the  order,  confirms  this  fact.  From 
the  great  multitude  of  examples  of  this  kind  we  will  only  furnish 
a  few,  and  these  such  as  have  been  officially  published  by  the 
order  itself.  We  take  these  from  "  Minutes  of  the  Grrand  Lodge 
of  I.  0.  0.  F.  of  Pennsylvania,  1871."  On  page  492  ff.  it  is 
reported  that  H-enry  L.  Genther,  member  of  the  "Old  Mononga- 
hela  Lodge  No.  209,  in  Elizabeth,  Alleghany  Co.,  Pa.,"  who 
claimed  the  constitutional  funeral  expenses,  as  his  wife  had  died. 
On  the  29th  of  November,  1870,  he  made  his  application  to  the 
lodge,  but  the  Noble  Grand  decided  that  he  was  not  entitled  to 
relief.  Genther  appealed,  and  represented  in  writing  that  he  mailed 
a  registered  letter  containing  five  dollars,  addressed  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  lodge,  on  the  4th  day  of  October,  1870,  at  Braid  wood, 
Illinois,  and  claimed  that  the  money,  from  the  time  he  mailed  that 
registered  letter,  ceased  to  be  his  property  and  became  the  prop- 
erty of  the  lodge  (according  to  our  opinion,  quite  correctly),  and 
on  the  8th  of  October  (therefore  four  days  later)  his  wife  died ; 


that  he  was  therefore,  at  the  time  of  her  death,  not  indebted  to 
the  lodge ;  on  the  contrary,  had  a  balance  in  hit?  favor,  and  was 
on  that  account  entitled  to  relief.  But  the  lodge  declared  that 
the  money  was  not  received  and  credited  until  the  llth  of  October, 
and  up  to  that  time  he  owed  the  lodge  $3.59,  and  that  amount  was 
placed  to  his  credit  under  that  date,  and  the  remainder  of  $1.41 
entered  in  his  favor.  However,  the  money  not  arriving  until  three 
days  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  was  not  entitled  to  receive  the 
funeral  expenses.  Genther  replied,  that  as  he  lived  some  100 
miles  distant  from  his  lodge,  he  could  not  possibly  be  made  respon- 
sible for  the  time  when  the  money  should  arrive,  if  he  mailed  it  in 
good  time  in  a  registered  letter.  But  it  was  ail  of  no  avail ;  the 
decision  of  the  Noble  Grand  was  sustained.  This  affair  was  then 
brought  up  before  a  Board  of  Appeal  of  the  State  Grand  Lodge  of 
Pennsylvania  ;  but  its  decision  was  the  same ;  so  that  the  lodge 
might  keep  its  money.  Whoever  owes  the  lodge  but  five  cents, 
gets  nothing,  no  matter  whether  he  has  paid  for  one  year  or  thirty 
years,  if  the  money  does  not  come  at  the  right  time,  no  matter 
whether  through  his  fault  or  without  his  fault. 

How  much  the  lodge  cares  for  the  widows  and  orphans,  another 
example  may  illustrate.  On  page  486  ff.  of  the  above  mentioned 
document,  we  find  the  following  story  :  Jacob  Dauinb,  member  of 
the  Chambersburg  Lodge  No.  175,  Chambersburg,  Franklin  Co., 
Pa.,  removed  some  nine  years  ago  to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana  Co., 
Pa. ,  and  remitted  his  dues  from  there  to  the  lodge.  He  sent  the 
last  five  dollars  in  the  month  of  February,  1869,  and  it  was  placed 
to  his  credit  the  5th  of  March  of  the  same  year.  This  sum  not 
only  covered  his  indebtedness,  but  left  a  balance  of  seventy-five 
cents  in  his  favor.  The  by-laws  of  his  lodge  provide  that  no 
member  is  entitled  to  any  benefits  until  four  weeks  after  he  haa 
paid  his  indebtedness.  On  the  29th  of  March  J.  Daumb  suddenly 
died,  and  the  question  arose,  "Is  the  widow,  Elizabeth  Daumb, 
entitled  to  the  funeral  expenses?"  The  lodge  decided,  "No," 


164 

because  on  the  5th  of  March  the  five  dollars  were  placed  to  his  credit^ 
and  on  the  29th  of  the  same  month  he  died,  therefore  before  the 
four  weeks  had  expired  ;  for  this  reason  she  is  not  entitled  to  relief. 
Th's  matter  was  also  laid  before  the  Board  of  Appeal  of  the  State 
Grand  Lodge,  but  that  gave  the  same  decision  ;  so  that  the  lodge 
might  retain  the  money ;  and  the  widow,  whether  needy  or  not, 
received  nothing.  From  this  it  is  very  apparent  that  the  lodge 
cunningly  seeks  to  withhold  its  benefits,  wherever  it  can  find  a 
plausible  pretext  to  do  so,  even  when  it  is  morally,  yea  legally 
hound  to  render  them,  as  in  this  case.  The  man  had  paid  "  some 
time  in  the  month  of  February/'  as  the  lodge  itself  declares. 
February  had,  in  the  year  1869,  only  28  days.  As  he  had  paid 
in  the  month  of  February,  it  could  not  have  been  later  than  on 
.the  28th,  this  being  the  last  day  of  the  month  ;  from  the  28th  of 
February  till  the  29th  of  March,  the  day  of  his  death,  it  is,  as 
everybody  knows,  over  four  weeks,  and  accordingly  his  widow  was 
(entitled  to  receive  the  funeral  expenses,  according  to  the  by-laws 
of  that  lodge.  But  the  Secretary  had  not  entered  the  sum  till 
the  5th  of  March,  and  the  lodge  chose  to  reckon  from  that  date, 
because  it  was  to  its  own  interest ;  and  so  they  left  the  widow 
without  aid.  As  in  the  first  case,  the  man  was  made  responsible 
for  the  management  and  delivery  of  the  mail,  so  in  this  case  the 
widow  is  made  responsible  for  the  Secretary's  faithful  discharge  of 
his  duties.  It  is  easy  to  understand  that  in  this  and  similar  ways 
the  lodge  can  "  make  money  "  with  ease.  There  is  no  appeal  from 
the  decision  of  the  Grand  Lodge. 

This  is  the  way  the  lodge  acts  toward  "  brothers"  and  "sis- 
ters." What,  then,  can  those  expect  who  are  not  members.,  or 
who  are  opposed  to  secret  societies?  The  much  vaunted  "love" 
and  "brotherhood"  extends,  at  best,  just  as  far  as  the  payments 
reach,  but  not  a  hair  breadth  further.  Indeed  its  motto,  "  love," 
i«,  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word,  an  immense  lie. 


165 


VI.  _  HOW  THE  ORDER  AGREES  WITH   THE  PRIN- 
CIPLES OF  OTHER  SECRET  SOCIETIES,  ESPE- 
CIALLY WITH  THE  DOCTRINES  OF 
THE   FREE  MASONS.* 


All  tne  secret  societies,  of  which  there  are  a  great  many  in  this 
country  (according  to  the  "Odd  Fellow,"  almost  a  hundred),  agree 
in  their  fundamental  principles  (at  least  we  have  not  yet  found  a 
single  exception).  All  have  the  same  religious  principles,  the 
same  doctrine,  the  same  religion,  namely  natural  religion,  pretend- 
ing to  recognize  a  Supremo  Being,  whom  every  one  can  and  shall 
serve  according  to  the  desires  of  his  heart  and  the  selfish  voice  of 
his  conscience,  for  ^hieh  they  of  course  cannot  and  will  not  use 
the  word  of  God,  and  making  its  mission  to  reform  the  world  and 
to  "  convert "  it  "  to  their  belief."  Besides  the  Odd  Fellows  and 
Free  Masons,  out  of  the  great  number  of  secret  societies,  we  men- 
tion only  a  few,  as  :  Druids,  Harugari,  Red  Men,  Knights  of 
Pythias,  Sons  of  Herman,  No  Surrenders,  Good  Fellows,  the 
Order  of  the  Seven  Wise  Men,  Sons  of  Temperance,  Good  Tem- 
plars, the  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith,  the  Order  of  St.  Crispin,  &c., 
&c.,  to  which  must  be  added  the  Order  of  the  "  Foresters," 
which  was  established  here  about  1863;  its  first  "  District  Court" 
was  founded  in  New  York  in  1864,  and  it  carries  its  devastations 


*  According  to  the  Report  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  of  the  United  States,  of  1871,  this  order  numbers,  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  454,355  members.  Whoever  wishes  to  gain  a  more  par- 
ticular insight  into  the  nature  and  practice  of  this  anti  Christian  order,  to 
him  we  recommend  the  work,  "Acacia  Blossoms  from  the  Free  Masons7 
Qrder,"  by  F.  W.  A.  Hiedel,  Evang.  Pastor;  a  book  manifesting  diligent 
•tudv  and  Christian  sentiment. 


166 

not  only  among  adults  but  also  among  the  young;  and  the  Patrons 
of  Husbandry,  established  about  18G7. 

Not  one  of  these  orders  rests  upon  the  foundation  of  the  divine 
word ;  they  all  confess  the  universal  religion  of  the  natural  man. 
Kvery  member  of  such  an  order  makes  unto  himself  a  God  accord- 
ing to  his  own  pleasure  and  the  imaginations  of  his  evil'heart,  just 
as  he  likes  to  have  him,  and  then  he  represents  him  to  be  the 
"  Creator  and  Preserver  of  the  Uni verse. "  Should  this  purely 
imaginary  deity  after  a  while  cease  to  please  him,  or  has  it  gone 
out  of  fashion,  he  can  be  remodeled  as  occasion  requires,  or  indeed 
an  entirely  new  one  manufactured.  Every  one  having  his  own 
God,  each  one  will  of  course  endeavor  to  convert  others  to  his 
God,  and  this  is  the  way  in  which  unity  shall  be  restored  to  the 
distracted  world.  We  are  most  anxious  to  see  this  unity  and  this 
"  glorious  epoch."  The  Lord  our  God  once  said  to  his  people: 
"According  to  the  number  of  thy  cities  were  thy  gods"  (Jer. 
11  :  13).  As  regards  the  lodge,  this  would  be  saying  too  little. 
It  would  suit  it  better  to  say  :  "  According  to  the  number  of  thy 
members  are  thy  gods."  Indeed  we  would  like  to  see  two  mem- 
bers of  the  order  who  have,  honor  and  worship  one  and  the  same 
God. 

Just  as  the  different  secret  societies  coincide  in  the  principles 
of  natural  or  heathen  religion,  so  iu  their  form  of  government 
they  all  rest  upon  one  and  the  same  basis,  namely,  that  of  the  law, 
or,  more  correctly  speaking,  of  despotism.  And  this  at  least  partly 
explains  the  very  close  relation  in  the  form  of  government  and 
administration.  In  every  order  the  members  are  linked  together 
by  rules;  the  iron  straight  jacket  is  laid  on  every  one,  and  he  is 
robbed  of  a  great  part  of  his  personal  freedom.  In  all  the  orders 
the  oath,  here  in  a  more  shocking  and  there  in  a  milder  form,  plays 
an  important  roll  and  is  a  strong  tie. 

It  would  of  course  transcend  the  narrow  limits  of  this  little 
book,  should  we  endeavor  to  prove  the  agreement  in  doctrines  and 


167 

principles  of  about  a  dozen  of  these  Orders,  as  shown  in  their 
books  of  instruction,  constitutions,  papers,  &c.*  We  content  our- 
selves, therefore,  with  giving,  as  concisely  as  possible,  an  abstract 
of  the  principal  doctrines  of  the  Free  Masons,  in  order  to  furnish 
the  proof  that  the  doctrines  of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Free  Masons 
are  as  much  alike  as  one  egg  is  like  the  other,  or  one  hand  resem- 
bles the  other.  We  take  this  short  statement  of  doctrine  from 
Macoy  :  "The  Free  Masons'  Manual.  A  Pocket  Companion  for 
the  Initiated.  Translated  into  the  German  by  J.  P.  Finkelmeier. 
New  York,  1870."  On  page  5  is  said:  Freemasonry  is  an  order 
founded  by  virtuous  men  for  the  noble  design  of  preserving  in  us, 
watchful  and  active,  the  sense  for  the  most  sublime  truths  in  the 
midst  of  innocent  and  social  pleasures.  Founded  upon  noble- 
mindedness,  brotherly  love  and  benevolence,  it  is  a  glorious  sys- 
tem of  morality."  This  order  has  the  Bible,  chaplains,  sermons, 
prayers,  and  allmanner  of  religious  ceremonies.  It  believes,  like 
the  Odd  Fellows,  in  a  "  Supreme  Being."  The  order  publishes  to 
the  world  that  the  foundation  upon  which  Free  Masonry  rests  is 
"faith  in  and  acknowledgment  of  a  Supreme  Being"  (p.  12). 
But  we  should  be  very  much  mistaken  should  we  imagine  that 
they  rest  alone  upon  that  basis.  This  foundation  alone  is  entirely 
too  weak.  In  order  to  prevent  the  danger  of  breaking  tb rough 
this  weak  foundation,  they  add  another  to  it.  And  what  is  it? 
Geometry  !  Concerning  this  we  read  on  page  62^:  "  Geometry, 
the  noblest  of  sciences,  is  the  foundation  upon  which  the  edifice 
of  Freemasonry  is  erected."  And  on  page  4  the  candidate  is 
"particularly  recommended"  to  "study  geometry,  wh-ch  forms 
the  foundation  of  our  art."  The  order  says  (p.  21) :  <k  The  entire 


*  Whoever  wishes  further  information  concerning  the  doctrines  and 
principles  of  the  different  secret  societies,  we  recommend  to  him  "The 
Christian  Cynosure,7'  edited  by  E,  A.  Cook,  13  Wabash  Ave.<  Chicago,  111.; 
weekly  edition  $2. 


168 

universe  is  the  temple  of  the  Divinity  which  we  adore."  And 
this  self-invented  divinity  is  so  terribly  bold  as  to  enact  "laws/' 
and  to  demand  that  we  "should  render  it  that  reasonable  homage  " 
which  the  Free  Masons  declare  "constitutes  the  summary  of  our 
duties  and  our  felicity  "  (p.  43).  Freemasonry  teaches  "the 
duties  we  owe  to  G-od,  our  neighbors  and  ourselves "  (p.  66). 
And  what  is  the  source  of  this  instruction  ?  We  hear,  on  page  67  : 
"The  brothers  of  this  degree  (the  third),  who  have  maintained 
unimpaired  the  ancient  landmarks  of  our  order,  are  the  source, 
from  which  we  derive  that  treasure  of  instruction  and  informa- 
tion "  They  have,  then,  of  course,  no  need  of  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures as  "source"  of  the  knowledge  of  salvation.  The  Free 
Masons  declare,  solemnly  and  in  all  seriousness,  on  page  34  ; 
"  No  institution  was  ever  established  on  better  principles  or 
erected  on  a  firmer  foundation."  The  Christian  Church,  which 
is  founded  upon  the  word  of  Almighty  God,  and  upon  the  blood 
of  our  everlasting  High  Priest,  has,  according  to  this,  a  much 
weaker  "  foundation "  and  much  worse  "principles."  The  Free 
Masons  even  believe  in  "  that  heavenly  lodge,  where  the  Supreme 
Architect  of  the  Universe  presides"  (p.  18).  To  get  there  is 
naturally  their  desire;  but  how  to  accomplish  it?  Well,  that  is 
very  simple.  This  place  is  "the  starry  heaven  which  all  good 
Masons  hope  finally  to  reach,  by  the  aid  of  that  spiritual  ladder, 
which  Jacob  saw  in  his  dream  extending  from  earth  to  heaven" 
(p.  22).  "Every  one  must  merit  the  evidence  of  a  contented  con- 
science "  (p.  108);  must  render  punctual  obedience  to  the  laws 
and  ordinances  of  the  lodge  ;  then  they  can,  "  as  Master  Masons, 
enjoy  in  old  age  the  blissful  fruits  of  a  well-spent  life,  and  depart 
from  hence  in  the  confidence  of  a  glorious  immortality"  (p.  .75). 
On  their  death  bed  "  the  happy  remembrance  of  a  virtuously  spent 
life  will  be  their  sole  consolation"  (p.  124).  We  must,  however, 
in  accordance  with  the  everlasting  word  of  G-od,  exclaim :  Woe, 
woe  unto  him  who  has  no  other  consolation  upon  his  dying  bed  1 


169 

And,  finally,  these  mistaken  souls  imagine  their  self-invented 
deity,  the  Grand  Master  of  that  heavenly  lodge,  will  call  to 
them  from  the  starry  heaven  :  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father, 
inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  "  (p.  128). 

But  in  the  meanwhile  they  are  still  upon  earth,  and  there  are 
many  "  duties"  for  them  to  fulfill.  Above  all  things,  obedience 
and  observation  of  the  constitution  is  required.  If  any  one  is 
uncertain  about  anything,  he  is  referred  to  the  "Book  of  the 
Constitution,"  the  law  and  gospel  of  Freemasonry.  We  read 
concerning  the  Constitution,  on  page  23:  "As  certain  guides  to 
an  exemplary  life,  unerring  rules,  with  which  every  lodge  is  pro- 
vided, are  suggested  to  the  Free  Mason.  The  law  book  lies  before 
him,  that  he  cannot  say,  he  erred  through  ignorance ;  and  what 
the  grand  Architect  of  the  Universe  has  ever  ordained,  as  the  way 
to  glorify  him  ;  the  path  of  virtue  in  which  he  desires  us  to  walk 
the  directions  which  he  has  ever  given  to  attain  his  approbation, 
as  well  as  the  laws  which  he  announced  through  the  wise  men  of 
antiquity, — are  all  faithfully  laid  down  in  the  law  book  of  Free- 
masonry. This  book  reveals  the  duties  which  the  Grand  Master 
has  imposed  upon  us,  clearly  and  openly,  and  intelligible  to  every 
intellect;  who  among  us  durst,  then,  say  he  was  ignorant  of  the 
true  worship."  The  "grand  Architect  of  the  world"  has  given 
and  promulgated  laws  through  the  "wise  men  of  antiquity." 
Who  were  these  "  wise  men  "  ?  They  were  the  wise  men  of  the 
heathen  Greeks  and  Romans,  who  worshiped  idols.  The  "great 
Architect  of  the  Universe"  is  therefore  in  perfect  unity  of  the 
faith  with  these  Heathen.  This  agreement  of  doctrine  we  really 
find  in  the  constitution,  that  is,  coincidence  in  doctrine  with  all 
Free  Masons,  with  whom  the  "great  Architect  of  the  Universe " 
is  in  perfect  harmony,  as  he  is  said  to  have  given  these  ordinance-* 
and  laws.  Their  constitution  says,  among  other  things,  that  they 
find  it  expedient  to  bind  their  members  "  alone  to  that  religion  in 


170 

which  all  mankind  agree."  *  What  is,  then,  this  religion  in  which 
all  men  by  nature  agree?  That  there  is  one  God  only?  No.  That 
there  is  a  Triune  God  ?  Oh,  no.  That  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God? 
By  no  means  !  That  he  has  redeemed  us  by  his  blood  ?  Not  at 
all!  That  there  is  a  hell  for  the  impenitent  and  unbelievers? 
On  no  account  1  What  is  it,  then  ?  Do  right,  fear  no  one  ;  if 
there  is  a  heaven,  you  will  surely  go  there.  In  this  religion,  it  is 
true,  all  men  by  nature  agree,  as  well  as  in  the  article  :  Believe 
what  you  please,  nothing  depends  upon  faith. 

Every  journyman  Free  Mason  is  admonished :  "  You  are  bound 
zealously  to  support  our  laws  and  ordinances"  (p.  64);  indeed  "you 
are  obligated  by  the  most  sacred  ties,  to  the  fulfillment  of  these 
duties  "  (p.  65).  "Duty  and  Honor  bind"  every  Master  Mason  "  to 
the  furtherance  of  a  strict  obedience  to  the  laws  of  Free  Masonry  " 
(p.  81).  Such  obedience  "will  convince  the  world  that  we  deserve 
the  blessings  of  our  privileges."  They  declare  that  "only  wor- 
thy men  are  admitted  to  their  enjoyment,  after  they  have  taken  a 
voluntary  oath  of  allegiance"  (p.  14).  It  is  made  known  to  the 
candidate,  "  that  nothing  will  be  required  of  him  that  could  be  an 
obstacle  to  his  civil,  moral,  and  religious  obligations"  (p.  14). 
Nothing  more  is  required  of  him,  as  a  matter  of  course,  than  that 
he  should  reject  the  word  of  God,  deny  Christ,  give  up  his  entire 
Christian  belief  and  hold  brotherly  communication  with  unbelievers, 
in  contradiction  to  the  plain  word  of  God  (2  Cor.  6  :  14 — 18). 

It  is  an  important  law  of  the  Free  Masons,  to  assist  all  the  broth- 
ers. Hence  all  are  admonished  :  "  Remember,  that  you  have  laid 
upon  this  altar  the  solemn  promise  to  support  and  assist  every 
brother  when  he  needs  your  aid  "  (p.  9).  Because  this  is  their 
duty,  there  is  also  a  good  reason  for  them  to  encourage  the  timid 
with  the  words  :  "Do  not  allow  yourselves  to  be  induced  by  any- 


*  See  "  Origin,  Development  and  Signification  of  Secret  Societies,  by 
.  Clemen/'  j>  77. 


171 

thing  (therefore  not  even  by  the  word  of  God)  to  deviate  from 
your  duties,  to  break  your  vows,  or  to  betray  the  secrets  entrusted 
to  you"  (p.  82).  Christians  however  are  instructed  by  the  word  of 
God,  to  break  all  sinful  vows  which  they  have  made  perhaps  igno- 
rantly.  Dr.  Luther  says  the  same.  Every  "  Master "  must  vow 
to  honor  and  esteem  the  genuine  and  true  brothers,  on  the  contrary 
to  despise  and  to  avoid  all  deceivers  and  opostates  from  the  origi- 
nal plan  of  Free  Masonry  "  (p.  97.  if).  He  further  promises  "  to 
avoid  and  to  despise  every  person"  who  is  admitted  into  a  Lodge, 
which  is  in  contradiction  to  his  (p.  98).  These  gentlemen  declare 
that  every  man  who  "does  not  endeavor  to  add  to  the  universal 
treasures  of  science  and  enlightenment,  may  ....  be  considered 
unworthy  of  our  protection  as  a  Free  Mason"  (p.  76.)  A  fine 
universal  love  !  The  Lord  Jesus  teaches  us  not  only  to  love 
"deceivers"  and  "apostates,"  but  even  our  personal  enemies. 
The  Free  Masons  teach  "  to  despise  and  to  avoid  "  all  such. 

Free  Masonry  has  also  a  great  mission  to  fulfill.  As  it  has 
placed  itself  above  the  word  of  God  and  the  Christian  religion,  so 
"Free  Masonry  receives  men  of  every  land,  of  every  sect,  and 
opinion"  (p.  29).  And  the  more  by  *  wedging'  are  wedged  in,  the 
better.  Their  "System"  is  designed  to  "nourish  and  increase 
among  all  men  on  the  face  of  the  globe"  (p.  VI).  What  is  the 
quintessence  of  their  great  mission?  The  "  most  important  prob- 
lem upon  earth, — the  preparation  for  eternity  "  (p.  124).  There- 
fore they  awaken  "in  the  hearts  of  their  disciples  the  knowledge  of 
the  great  Architect  of  the  universe  "  (p.  VI).  On  p.  VIII  all  are 
admonished  :  "  Let  us  continually  consider  that  the  great  aims  of 
our  brotherly  covenant  are :  the  control  of  improper  desires  and 
passions,  the  exercise  of  active  benevolence  and  the  obtaining  of 
a  true  knowledge  of  the  duties,  which  we  owe  to  God,  our  neighbors, 
and  ourselves."  In  this  they  of  course  have  no  need  of  the 
word  of  God.  They  will  "  follow  the  one  aim"  "to  be  kind  to  each 
Other,  and  to  unite  for  the  great  purpose  of  becoming  happy,  and 


172 

of  creating  and  spreading  happiness  abroad"  (p.  108  ff.).  In 
this  thej  are  conducted  by  the  "  good  genius"  of  their  " secret  art" 
(p.  VIII),  and  find  the  "sacred  refuge  of  friendship  and  virtue  "  in 
their  Lodge  (p.  IX).  As  they  want  to  control  "improper  desires 
and  passions,"  these  -must  dwell  in  their  hearts.  What  will  they 
now  do  to  pet  rid  of  them  ?  That  is  to  Free  Masons  a  mere  trifle. 
They  declare  on  p.  16:  "We  use  the  hammer  in  the  lodge,  in 
order  to  purify  our  hearth  and  consciences  from  all  the  vices  and 
follies  of  life  and  thereby  to  prepare  our  souls  as  living  stones  for 
that  spiritual  edifice  ....  in  Heaven."  To  be  sure,  if  the  ham- 
mer has  such  power,  the  blood  of  Christ  is  to  them  the  most  super- 
fluous thing  in  the  world.  In  spite  of  their  rejection  of  the  liv- 
ing God  and  his  word,  they  are  still  very  pious  people,  for  out  of 
every  twenty-four  hours,  they  devote  "eight  hours  to  the  service  of 
God  and  of  a  needy  brother  "  (p.  16).  "  To  restore  to  the  afflicted 
heart  its  lost  rest  and  peace,  is  the  great  aim"  that  they  follow  (p. 
29).  This  of  course  is  not  accomplished  through  the  only  prince  of 
peace,  but  by  the  substitution  of  the  thorny  pillow  of  so-called 
good  works.  The  hearts  of  all  men,  but  particularly  those  of  the 
"brothers,"  shall  gradually  be  permeated  "with  the  light  of  illumi- 
nation" (p.  106).  It  is  the  duty  of  all,  in  thus  warning  against  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  by  means  of  such  antichristian  and  satanic 
doctrines  "  to  create  and  spread  happiness."  And  when  the  mem- 
bers labor  zealously  to  disseminate  their  false  doctrines,  they  are 
told  :  "  Your  \vork  is  done  unto  the  Lord  and  your  reward  is  with 
your  God"  !  We  believe  this  latter  assertion  fully ;  if  they  are  not 
brought  through  the  grace  of  God  to  upright  repentance  and  con- 
version, THEIR  GOD  will  in  his  own  time  give  them  a  suitable 
"reward."  In  all  that,  the  Free  Mason  must  only  take  care  that 
he  does  not  violate  the  "  Constitution,"  and  that  he  acts  only  in 
accordance  with  the  dictates  of  his  perverted  and  darkened  con- 
science. For  on  p.  26  it  is  said  :  "Let  every  Free  Mason  so  regu- 
late his  actions  as  the  voice  of  his  conscience  best  teaches  him.'1 


173 

The  Order  endeavors  with  all  its  might  to  promulgate  all  theie 
false  doctrines,  and  experience  teaches  that  it  succeeds  in  so  doing 
In  face  of  the  great  danger  of  being  led  astray  by  such  unbe- 
lievers, we  cannot  urgently  enough  recommend  to  all  Christians 
the  faithful  and  diligent  use  of  the  blessed  word  of  God,  and  not 
pressingly  enough  urge  them  to  continually  pray: 

"  Tliy  Word  is  like  a  flaming  sword, 

A  wedge  that  cleaveth  stone; 
Keen  as  a  fire,  so  burns  Thy  Word, 

And  pierceth  flesh  and  bone . 
Let  it  go  forth  o'er  all  the  earth, 

To  cleanse  our  hearts  within, 
To  show  Thy  power  in  satan's  hour, 

And  break  the  might  of  sin.;) 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 


Ifc  has  not  been  in  the  remotest  degree  our  intention,  in  setting 
forth  the  false  doctrines  of  the  secret  societies,  to  wound  the  feel- 
ings of  any  one  or  do  him  wrong  We  have  therefore  strictly  con- 
fined ourselves  to  the  sources  of  our  information  and  entirely  set 
aside  personal  experience,  as  well  as  the  experience  of  other  Chris- 
tians and  congregations.  That  the  picture  which  we  gain,  by 
personal  experience  of  the  doings  of  the  members  of  secret  socie- 
ties is  a  thousand  times  more  dreadful  than  that  which  the  Order 
in  its  publications  depicts  of  itself,  is  quite  intelligible.  The  doc- 
trines which  they  promulgate  in  their  publications  are,  however,  bad 
enough  to  keep  every  Christian,  who  has  any  concern  for  his  soul's 
salvation,  at  a  distance  from  the  Lodge.  And  we  would  here  most 


174 

earnestly  entreat  every  Christian  not  to  suffer  himself  to  be  tempt- 
ed to  join,  but  to  arm  himself  with  the  word  of  God  and  seriously 
contend  against  their  false  doctrines.  But  alas,  many  Christians 
and  members  of  congregations  are  too  little  conversant  with  these 
doctrines,  and  it  happens  that  they  often  are  drawn  into  the  Lodge 
by  all  manner  of  sweet  sounding  representations  and  phrases.  The 
more  so,  as  the  members  of  the  lodge  do  it  in  the  most  artful  way. 
They  never  declare  openly  and  intelligibly  to  all :  "  We  will  extermi- 
inate  Christianity  "  ;  on  the  contrary,  they  frequently  assume  ttfe 
appearance  of  great  piety,  and  many  a  one  thinks,  "  I  will  convince 
myself,"  and  joins  the  lodge  in  order,  as  he  thinks,  to  convince 
himself.  And  when  he  has  been  admitted,  the  standing  phrase 
is:  "I  have  neither  seen  nor  heard  anything  evil."  This  may 
be  in  so  far  true,  as  that  they  have  seen  and  h>ard  nothing  of  so- 
called  grave  immoralities.  The  word  of  God,  however  (2  Cor.  6), 
has  been  transgressed.  The  lodge  also  suffers  no  new  comers  to 
look  into  its  secret  designs  and  plans,  but  uses  them,  unconscious 
to  themselves,  as  tools,  and  only  by  degrees  instils  its  false  doc- 
trines into  them.  Their  eyes  are  darkened ;  they  are  gradu- 
ally, without  observing  it,  turned  off  from  the  word  of  God  and  the 
Church,  become  more  indifferent  to  the  preaching  and  the  sacra- 
ments ;  the  panegyrics  and  boasting  of  the  many  good  works  are 
sweet  music  to  the  natural  heart,  and  the  doctrine  of  being  made 
good  by  our  own  virtues  pleases  more  than  repentance  and 
faith,  and  so  they  are  gradually,  without  knowing  it,  con- 
verted to  the  doctrine  of  the  order.  The  forbidden  com- 
munion with  unbelievers  exercises  a  fearful  influence,  and  that  is 
the  reason  why  so  few  who  have  joined  with  the  intention  of  invest- 
igating the  subject,  come  to  a  perception  of  the  false  doctrines 
and  withdraw  irom  the  lodge  Before  they  have  learned  to  know 
these  by  experience,  they  are  usually  long  since  "converted"  to 
them.  Is  it,  however,  right  fcr  a  Christian  first  to  join  and  then 
to  examine?  .First  to  transgress  the  word  of  God  and  enter  into 


175 

fellowship  with  unbelievers,  and  then  to 'see  and  examine  whether 
there  is  any-thing  "evil"  done  there?  No,  assuredly  not!  Be 
fore  we  join  a  society  and  form  a  "brotherly  alliance"  with  its 
members  we  must  first  examine  their  doctrine  by  the  only  correct 
standard,  the  sacred  Scriptures.  And  whoever  does  so  in  good 
earnest,  will,  by  the  grace  of  God,  be  preserved  from  the  poison  of 
the  doctrines  of  the  lodge ;  and  these  doctrines  are,  God  be  prais- 
ed, manifest,  and  no  Christian  can  with  a  good  conscience,  promise 
obedience  and  secrecy,  before  he  knows  what  will  be  required  of 
him ;  but  every  one  who  is  admitted,  must  do  so. 

The  lodge,  with  its  blasphemous  doctrine,  is  a  pestilence  that 
walketh  in  darkness,  a  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noon-day.  It 
is  our  ardent  desire  to  help  guard  against  it,  and  if  any-one 
should  have  been  captivated  through  ignorance,  to  assist  him  to 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  evil,  this  is  our  aim  to  which  pure 
love  compels  us.  To  this  end  these  lines  were  written.  May  it 
please  the  Lord  to  bless  them  to  the  souls  of  many  ! 


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